noun
1. densely spiny ornamental of southeastern United States and West Indies
• Syn: ↑Hercules'-clubs, ↑Hercules-club, ↑Zanthoxylum clava-herculis
• Hypernyms: ↑prickly ash
• Member Holonyms: ↑Zanthoxylum, ↑genus Zanthoxylum
2. small deciduous clump-forming tree or shrub of eastern United States
• Member Holonyms: ↑genus Aralia
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\\ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷\ noun (plural hercules'-clubs)Usage: usually capitalized
1. : any of several prickly shrubs or trees:
a. : an ornamental tree (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) of the southeastern United States and the West Indies
b. : either of two shrubs of the Bahamas (Zanthoxylum coreaceum or Caesalpinia bahamensis)
2. : a gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris) with fruit sometimes exceeding five feet in length
3. : a small prickly tree (Aralia spinosa) of eastern U.S. — called also angelica tree, devil's-walking-stick
Useful english dictionary. 2012.