n.
Pronunciation: ' h ā -z ə l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English hasel, from Old English hæsel; akin to Old High German hasal hazel, Latin corulus
Date: before 12th century
1 : any of a genus ( Corylus and especially the American C. americana and the European C. avellana ) of shrubs or small trees of the birch family bearing nuts enclosed in a leafy involucre
2 : a light brown to strong yellowish brown