Bitternut

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of tree in the walnut family, recognized for its distinctively bitter nuts and bright yellow foliage in autumn
2. This tree species is notable for its inedible nuts and is often used in landscaping for its striking appearance and fall color
3. Known for its unique yellow fall color, this tree produces nuts that are unpalatable, making it less desirable for consumption

Etymology: Bitternut is a plain compound: "bitter" joined to "nut." The tree is a hickory, Carya cordiformis, and its name refers to its fruit, whose thick husk surrounds a nut with a shell so hard and a kernel so acrid that it is rarely eaten by people. The compound itself tells the whole story. Bitter, from Old English "biter," describes the taste, and nut is the seed the tree produces, so the name simply records a disappointing meal. The tree's yellow autumn leaves are a separate matter that the name does not reflect. Naming a tree for its inedible fruit is an ordinary pattern in English, and bitternut sits alongside other hickories that were named for their nuts and their uses rather than their appearance.