hickory
noun
hick·o·ry
ˈhi-k(ə-)rē 
plural hickories
1
a
: any of a genus (Carya) of North American hardwood trees of the walnut family that often have sweet edible nuts
b
: the usually tough wood of a hickory
2
: a switch or cane (as of hickory wood) used especially for punishing a child
hickory
adjective
Examples of hickory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The easiest way to do this is to assess whether your kitchen cabinets are warm (with red, yellow, or orange undertones), like cherry, oak, hickory, and pine; or cool (with gray undertones), like white oak, ash, maple, or birch cabinetry.
—
Monika Biegler Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
Mesquite is stronger and sweeter than hickory.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The tree produces edible hickory nuts enclosed in a thick husk.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
The few mourners walked away beneath the crooked, treeless oaks and hickories of the Westminster Presbyterian burying ground.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
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Monika Biegler Eyers, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025
Mesquite is stronger and sweeter than hickory.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
The tree produces edible hickory nuts enclosed in a thick husk.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
The few mourners walked away beneath the crooked, treeless oaks and hickories of the Westminster Presbyterian burying ground.
—Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hickory
Cite this Entry
“Hickory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hickory. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hickory
noun
hick·o·ry
ˈhik-(ə-)rē
plural hickories
1
: any of a genus of North American trees related to the walnut and having an edible nut with a hard shell
2
: the usually tough pale wood of a hickory
Geographical Definition
Hickory
geographical name
Hick·o·ry
ˈhi-kə-rē
city in west central North Carolina population 40,010
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