# sloe

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsləʊ/ · frequency rank #87,840

## Definitions
1. The small, astringent, wild fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa).
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.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sloe