ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun
Etymology: translation of Italian spino cervino & New Latin cervi spina
1. : a shrub or tree of the genus Rhamnus sometimes having thorny branches and often containing purgative principles in bark or sap and producing fruits sometimes used as a source of yellow and green dyes or pigments — see cascara buckthorn
2. : a shrub or tree of the genus Bumelia — used in combination; see southern buckthorn
3. : a prickly shrub ( Ceanothus seriedatus ) of the California chaparral