What does hazel mean?
Hazel is a familiar English word with several connected meanings. Its primary sense is a deciduous shrub or small tree of the birch family, known for its edible nuts and for the warm brownish-green color of its leaves and wood. The word can also denote the nut itself, usually called a hazelnut, or refer to hazel-colored eyes. In adjective use, hazel describes that color and is particularly common with “eyes” and “hair,” often suggesting a warm, bright, or gently golden appearance. The plant is associated with hedges, woodland edges, autumn landscapes, and traditional foods such as nut biscuits and pralines. Although “hazel” is now also a widely used given name, its ordinary vocabulary meanings remain rooted in the tree. The word is common in both British and American English, with no major regional difference in its basic pronunciation or usage.
A deciduous shrub or small tree of the birch family that produces edible nuts; also the nut itself, a hazel-colored eye, or the brownish-green color associated with the tree.
"They gathered hazelnuts beneath the hazel at the edge of the field."
The tree and nut senses are dominant in everyday use. The color and eye senses are usually understood as extended or figurative uses.
Of a brownish-green or warm light-brown color, especially of eyes or hair.
"He watched the storm through the hazel light filtering through the trees."
Most often used before “eyes” or “hair”; “hazel-colored” and “hazel-coloured” are common alternative forms.
The plural refers to multiple hazel trees or shrubs; “hazelnuts” is used for multiple nuts.
"The hedgerow was lined with hazels bending under the weight of their nuts."
Hazel takes its name from the tree itself, linking the familiar English given name to a plant that has supplied food and shelter for centuries.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hazel come from?
The English word descends from Old English hæsel, the native name for the hazel tree, and ultimately from a Proto-Germanic form commonly reconstructed as *hasulaz. It is cognate with Old Norse hasli and German Hasel; German Haselnuss literally means “hazelnut.” The modern English spelling hazel reflects the development of the Old English form through Middle English, in which the vowel and consonant forms gradually became established.
Related word forms
How hazel is actually used
As a noun, hazel most commonly refers to the tree or its nuts, while the color sense is especially familiar in expressions involving eyes. As an adjective, it is normally used attributively: “hazel eyes,” “hazel hair,” or “hazel-colored light.” “Hazel nut” is a traditional British two-word form; “hazelnut” is the standard modern spelling in both British and American English.
Easily confused with hazel
A haze is a thin mist or atmospheric obscurity, whereas a hazel is a tree, a nut, or a brownish-green eye or color.