[ha.zel] n [ME hasel, fr. OE haesel; akin to OHG hasal hazel, L corulus] (bef. 12c) 1: any of a genus (Corylus and esp. 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
[2]hazel adj (14c) 1: consisting of hazels or of the wood of the hazel
2: of the color hazel