ˈmä(h)əˌleb noun
also mahaleb cherry
( -s )
Etymology: Arabic maḥlab
: a small slender European cherry ( Prunus mahaleb ) that has pure white fragrant flowers in racemes and small inferior fruits from which a dye and a cordial are sometimes made and that is grown for use as an understock in grafting cultivated cherries — called also St. Lucie cherry