bitternut

/ˈbɪtərˌnʌt/
noun
  1. A North American hickory tree that produces a bitter, inedible nut.
    • The bitternut tree in the backyard dropped nuts that the squirrels ignored.
    • Bitternut wood is often used for smoking meat because of its strong flavor.
    • We identified the tree as a bitternut by its smooth bark and bitter nuts.
  2. The nut of the bitternut tree, which has a very bitter taste.
    • He cracked open a bitternut but spat it out immediately.
    • The children collected bitternuts for a craft project, not for eating.
    • Bitternuts are not eaten by humans because they are too bitter.
What does "bitternut" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean