Dictionary

service tree en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Properly, the tree that bears sorb fruit, from Middle English serves, plural of serve (“sorb apple, serviceberry”), from Old English syrfe, from Vulgar Latin *sorbea, from Latin sorbus (“service tree”). See sorb. Not related to service, though it influenced its spelling

Meanings

1. Either of two rare Old World deciduous trees, Sorbus domestica or Sorbus torminalis.
   • The wild service tree is very local in our study area.[…]At the time when these wild service trees had ripe fruit the much more abundant hawthorns, as well as a number of other plants, were providing alternative sources of fruit, which were probably safer to exploit than the service tree’s fruit 3—15 m up on terminal twigs of the leafless branches. 2010, Barbara Snow, David Snow, Birds and Berries, page 54:
   • In England, the wild service tree (sorbus torminalis) is regarded as an indicator of ancient woodland although there is little written about it in books on the subject. 2002, Mélusine Draco, Paul Harriss, Root & Branch: British Magical Tree Lore, page 102:
   • Wild cherry and rowan, as well as wild apple, wild pear, wild service tree, whitebeam, and true service tree, are all affected by being nibbled by voles, mice and other wild animals. 2000, F. W. M. Vera, Grazing Ecology and Forest History, page 341:

Forms

Hypernyms

tree

Hyponyms

wild service tree

Relateds

sorb · sorb-apple · mountain ash · serviceberry

Translations (56)

cy cerddinen ddof (Sorbus domestica) · el σουρβιά η οικιακή (Sorbus domestica) · sl oskoruš (Sorbus domestica) · de Sperberbaum (Sorbus domestica) · ang syrftrēow (Sorbus domestica) · mk оско́руша (Sorbus domestica) · da storfrugtet røn (Sorbus domestica) · sq shurbë (Sorbus domestica) · pt sorva (Sorbus domestica) · de Speierling (Sorbus domestica) · pl jarząb domowy (Sorbus domestica) · grc ὄᾱ (Sorbus domestica) · la sorbus (Sorbus domestica) · co sorbu (Sorbus domestica) · de Sporapfel (Sorbus domestica) · bg скоруша (Sorbus domestica) · arc כנפא (Sorbus domestica) · cy cerddinen Morgannwg (Sorbus domestica) · mk ско́руша (Sorbus domestica) · rm sorber dumesti (Sorbus domestica) · ro scoruș (Sorbus domestica) · bg оскруша (Sorbus domestica) · ar غُبَيْرَاء مستأنسة (Sorbus domestica) · tr üvez (Sorbus domestica) · sv äppelrönn (Sorbus domestica) · cs oskeruše (Sorbus domestica) · nl peervormige lijsterbes (Sorbus domestica) · eu gurbeondo (Sorbus domestica) · es serbal común (Sorbus domestica) · sv päronrönn (Sorbus domestica) · oc asperbièr (Sorbus domestica) · hy արոսենի մշակովի (Sorbus domestica) · fi välimerenpihlaja (Sorbus domestica) · sq vadhë e butë (Sorbus domestica) · is perureynir (Sorbus domestica) · hsb domjaca wjerjebina (Sorbus domestica) · eo sorpo (Sorbus domestica) · oc serbièr (Sorbus domestica) · it sorbo domestico (Sorbus domestica) · fr cormier (Sorbus domestica) · ru рябина домашняя (Sorbus domestica) · gl sorbeira (Sorbus domestica) · hu kerti berkenye (Sorbus domestica) · sk oskoruša (Sorbus domestica) · es sorbo (Sorbus domestica) · gl raño (Sorbus domestica) · ca servera (Sorbus domestica) · fr sorbier domestique (Sorbus domestica) · pcd cormié (Sorbus domestica) · no edelrogn (Sorbus domestica) · lb Spirebam (Sorbus domestica) · fr sorbier (Sorbus domestica) · pt sorveira (Sorbus domestica) · eu gurbe (Sorbus domestica) · sh osokor (Sorbus domestica) · uk горобина домашня (Sorbus domestica)