sloe

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.

noun

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
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.