Any of various thorny shrubs, mostly of the family Rhamnaceae; esp. Christ's thorn, Paliurus spina-christi (also rhamn of Lybia) and common…

Originally: any of various thorny shrubs, mostly of the family Rhamnaceae (see rhamn, n.). In later use: spec. any plant of the genus Rhamnus (family…

The shrub Rhamnus catharticus; the berries of which yield sap-green and other pigments, and were formerly used as a powerful cathartic.

buckthorn, Rhamnus catharticus.

the common buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica (family Rhamnaceae), whose berries were formerly used as a purgative (cf. buckthorn, n.).

U.S. More fully shittim wood, shittim tree. Any of several similar North American shrubby trees; esp. a kind of buckthorn, Rhamnus purshiana, of…