— hazelly , adj.
/hay"zeuhl/ , n.
1. any shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Corylus, of the birch family, having toothed, ovate leaves and bearing edible nuts, as C. avellana, of Europe, or C. americana and C. cornuta, of the Western Hemisphere.
2. any of several other shrubs or trees, as an Australian shrub, Pomaderris apetala.
3. the wood of any of these trees.
4. the hazelnut or filbert.
5. light golden brown, as the color of a hazelnut.
adj.
6. of or pertaining to the hazel.
7. made of the wood of the hazel.
8. having a light golden-brown color.
[ bef. 900; ME hasel; OE haes ( e ) l; c. G Hasel, ON hasl, L corylus hazel shrub ]