hazel

¹

[hey-zuhl]

noun

1. any shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Corylus, of the birch family, having toothed, ovate leaves and bearing edible nuts, as C. avellana, of Europe, or C. americana and C. cornuta, of the Western Hemisphere.

2. any of several other shrubs or trees, as an Australian shrub, Pomaderris apetala.

3. the wood of any of these trees.

4. the hazelnut or filbert.

5. light golden brown, as the color of a hazelnut.

adjective

1. of or relating to the hazel.

2. made of the wood of the hazel.

3. having a light golden-brown color.

Hazel

²

[hey-zuhl]

noun

1. a female given name.

hazel

/ ˈheɪzəl /

noun

1. Also called: cob. any of several shrubs of the N temperate genus Corylus, esp C. avellana, having oval serrated leaves and edible rounded brown nuts: family Corylaceae

2. the wood of any of these trees

3. short for hazelnut

4. 1. a light yellowish-brown colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      hazel eyes

Other Word Forms

• hazelly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hazel¹

before 900; Middle English hasel; Old English hæs ( e ) l; cognate with German Hasel, Old Norse hasl, Latin corylus hazel shrub

Word History and Origins

Origin of hazel¹

Old English hæsel; related to Old Norse hasl, Old High German hasala, Latin corylus, Old Irish coll

Example Sentences

For years, it was easy to forget that we used to be a woodland nation: around 6,000 years ago untouched swathes of oak, hazel, birch and pine blanketed an estimated 75% of the UK.

From BBC

It has been trying to restore the woodlands by introducing downy birch, sessile oak, hazel, willow, aspen and alder as well as endangered tree species such as Arran whitebeam.

From BBC

With dark blond hair and hazel eyes, Denise had a youthful beauty and hid her tough circumstances under a devil-may-care attitude.

From Los Angeles Times

Hours after the strike, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a TV address, said that Russia had launched a "new conventional intermediate-range" missile with the codename Oreshnik, meaning hazel tree in Russian.

From BBC

She is described as being 5 feet 10 and weighing 140 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What color are hazel eyes?

Opinions vary on what, exactly, constitutes hazel eyes. Some consider them to be any shade with light brown or gold tones; others think they are a variation of brown eyes, only with more green or gold in the iris.