Horse-brier (Noun)
Meaning
A very prickly woody vine of the eastern United States growing in tangled masses having tough round stems with shiny leathery leaves and small greenish flowers followed by clusters of inedible shiny black berries.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The horse-brier vine had grown so thick and tangled that it was almost impossible to walk through the woods without getting scratched.
- As she hiked through the forest, she noticed the horse-brier was already in bloom, its small greenish flowers a subtle contrast to the shiny black berries that would follow.
- The park ranger warned the children to stay away from the horse-brier, explaining that its thorns were very sharp and could cause painful scratches.
- The horse-brier had grown up the old fence, its tough round stems and leathery leaves a testament to its hardiness and ability to thrive in poor soil.
- After a few hours of clearing brush, the gardener was covered in scratches from the horse-brier, its thorns having proved to be a formidable obstacle.