hazel

1 of 2

noun

ha·​zel ˈhā-zəl How to pronounce hazel (audio)
1
: any of a genus (Corylus and especially the American C. americana and the European C. avellana) of shrubs or small trees of the birch family bearing nuts enclosed in a leafy involucre
2
: a light brown to strong yellowish brown

hazel

2 of 2

adjective

1
: consisting of hazels or of the wood of the hazel
2
a
: of the color hazel
b
of eyes : of a variable color averaging light greenish-grayish brown

Examples of hazel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
By the Mesolithic era (about 8,000 BCE) hazel trees started to become one of the dominant woodland species throughout the southern part of Sweden. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024 The hazel trees provided a source for both raw materials and food, similar to seaweed. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024 The Pixel 8 costs $699 and comes in obsidian, hazel, and rose. WIRED, 4 Oct. 2023 Witch hazel can also be drying when used on sensitive skin. Kayla Blanton, Verywell Health, 6 Dec. 2023 The Pixel 8 is available in three colors — hazel, rose and obsidian — and starts at $699, about $100 less than the baseline iPhone 14 with the same amount of storage. Krystal Hur, CNN, 5 Oct. 2023 Her intense hazel gaze can seem otherworldly, but the way her voice often reaches into her Baltimore roots is very around the way. Helena Andrews-Dyer, Washington Post, 23 June 2023 The tablet, which has rounded edges and corners, comes in three colors: porcelain, hazel and rose, and starts at $499. Samantha Kelly, CNN, 10 May 2023 The High Altar will also be decorated with seasonal foliage such as crab apple blossom, amelanchier, camellia, acer, hazel, rhododendron, and azalea alongside beech cut from an ancient cluster of trees at RHS Garden Bridgewater. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 4 May 2023
Adjective
Both men have shaved heads, with brown facial hair and hazel eyes. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 Prison officials described Meade as a white male with brown hair and hazel eyes, 5-feet 6-inches tall, and weighing 150 pounds. Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 For hazel and other plants, the ratio is affected by the amount of sunlight and water available to them. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Feb. 2024 He was described as 6 feet, 3 inches tall, with blond hair and hazel eyes. Katherine Itoh, NBC News, 19 Feb. 2024 Welch is a white woman, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and 140 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Feb. 2024 Now in her early 40s, Magni has short brown hair and big hazel eyes. Jordan Michael Smith, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2024 In addition to the music updates, Lil Nas changed his X profile photo and header image to that of a hazel eye and a red iteration of his Montero logo. Starr Bowenbank, Billboard, 3 Jan. 2024 Herrmann is described by police as a Pacific Islander woman who is 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 135 lbs., with hazel eyes and brown hair. Sean Neumann, Peoplemag, 19 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hazel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English hasel, from Old English hæsel; akin to Old High German hasal hazel, Latin corulus

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hazel was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hazel

Cite this Entry

“Hazel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hazel. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hazel

noun
ha·​zel
ˈhā-zəl
1
: any of a genus of shrubs or small trees related to birches and bearing edible nuts enclosed in a leafy case
2
: a light brown to a strong yellowish brown
hazel adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on hazel

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