Dictionary

sloe en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈsləʊ/ (UK)
• /ˈsloʊ/ (US)

Etymology

From Middle English slo, sla, sloo, from Old English slā, slāh, from Proto-West Germanic *slaihā, from Proto-Germanic *slaihǭ, *slaihwō, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leh₃y- (“bluish”). Doublet of Sliwa.

Meanings

1. The small, astringent, wild fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa).
   • There is also a dryness in the mouth from the increased action of the absorbent vessels, when a sloe or a crab-apple are masticated... 1796, Erasmus Darwin, Zoonomia, or, the Laws of Organic Life, part II.I.I.III:
   • The dew-drops fell like water, leaf after leaf dropped from the trees, the sloe-thorn alone still bore fruit, but the sloes were sour, and set the teeth on edge. Oh, how dark and weary the whole world appeared! 1872, The Snow Queen by H. C. Andersen, translation by Paull
   • Katúsha, with her eyes black as sloes, her face radiant with joy, was flying towards him, and they caught hold of each other's hands. 1900, Leo Tolstoy, “Twelve Years before”, in Louise Maude, transl., Resurrection: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, →OCLC, book I, page 46:
2. The tree Prunus spinosa.
3. Any of various other plants of the genus Prunus, as a shrub or small tree, Prunus alleghaniensis, bearing dark-purple fruit.

Forms

Deriveds

sloelike · sloe-eyed · sloe gin · sloe plum · Sloman · sloebush

Translations (80)

ru тёрн (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · pdt Schlee (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · sl trnólja (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · fa گوجه وحشی (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · ast prunu (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · pt abrunheiro (tree of the genus Prunus bearing dark-purple fruit) · hy մամուխ (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · grc βράβυλον (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · gl escambroeiro (tree of the genus Prunus bearing dark-purple fruit) · gl agruño (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · az göyəm (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · nl slee (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · ga airne (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · enm slo (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · tr güğem — (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · ba күгэн (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · tr güvem (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · oc aranhon (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · sl trnóljica (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · cs trnka (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · gag güven (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · pl cierniówka (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · an arañón (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · tt күгэн (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · sq kullumbri (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · cy eirin duon bach (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · sga áirne (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · gag гӱвен (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · nl sleepruim (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · sv slånbär (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · hu kökény (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · sl trnúlja (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · it prugnola (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · cy eirin duon (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · fa آلوچه (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · lbe бухъ (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · nog көген (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · pl tarnina (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · kum гоган (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · es arañón (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · de Schlehe (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · hy կոկան (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · ast andrín (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · ru терно́вая я́года (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · ca prunell (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · oc agragnou (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · fi oratuomen marja (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · pt abrunho (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · gl ameixeira (tree of the genus Prunus bearing dark-purple fruit) · is þyrniplóma (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · fr prunelle (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · gl agruñeiro (tree of the genus Prunus bearing dark-purple fruit) · kw eyrin (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · gl abruño (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · es endrino (tree of the genus Prunus bearing dark-purple fruit) · ota گوگم (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · es endrina (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · rom mamux (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · tr çakal eriği (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · os какон (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · ca prunella (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · bg трънка (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · gl abruñeiro (tree of the genus Prunus bearing dark-purple fruit) · ka კვრინჩხი (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · pl tarka (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · br irin (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · fi luumu (tree of the genus Prunus bearing dark-purple fruit) · uk терен (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · abq дзхӏвы (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · eo prunelo (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · fi oratuomenmarja (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · sl opȃrnica (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · ota گووم (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · ca aranyó (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · uk тернова ягода (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · pl ciarka (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · fa آلوچه جنگلی (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · pt abrunho (tree of the genus Prunus bearing dark-purple fruit) · chg كوگم (fruit of Prunus spinosa) · oc aragnou (fruit of Prunus spinosa)