sloe

Everyday

1. A sloe is a small, round, dark blue-black fruit of the blackthorn bush, very sour when raw. tree →
2. The blackthorn bush itself is sometimes called a sloe. tree →

In the lessons

Sloes grow wild in hedges in Britain and Ireland and ripen in autumn. People use them to make jam and sloe gin (a grown-up drink). In nature lessons, the blackthorn is one of the first hedges to flower white in spring. «Sloe-eyed» in old books means having dark, beautiful eyes.

Examples

• We found sloes in the hedge on our autumn walk. tree →
• Sloes are too sour to eat straight from the bush. tree →
• The blackthorn has white flowers in spring and sloes in autumn. tree →
• Birds eat the sloes in winter. tree →
• Grandad makes sloe jelly every October. tree →
• The sloes looked like tiny dark plums. tree →
• "Now look at the sloe bush." tree →

Note

Countable: one sloe, two sloes. Sounds the same as «slow» — a homophone; do not mix them up. Do not eat wild berries unless an adult says they are safe.