A hawthorn tree or its flower; a thorny shrub bearing white or pink blossoms (archaic/poetic).
From Old French 'aubepine,' from 'aube' (white, related to dawn) + 'epine' (thorn, from Latin 'spina'). The word literally means 'white thorn' or 'thorn of white [flowers],' describing the hawthorn's characteristic white blossoms and thorny branches.
This gorgeously poetic word literally means 'white thorn,' which perfectly captures the hawthorn's delicate white flowers surrounded by vicious prickles. Medieval and Romantic poets loved writing about aubepines, and the plant shows up constantly in old European literature as a symbol of spring and danger combined.
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