1. A hickory tree (Carya cordiformis) native to North America, bearing small bitter nuts.
Usage: Also called bitternut hickory or pignut hickory.; Botanical/forestry term.
2. The small, hard nut produced by the bitternut tree, inedible to humans but eaten by wildlife.

Examples

• The bitternut hickory grows throughout the eastern United States.
• Squirrels and other animals feed on bitternut nuts in the fall.
• Foresters often identify bitternut trees by their distinctive yellow buds.
• The wood of the bitternut is used for tool handles and fuel.
• Unlike shagbark hickory, the bitternut nut is too bitter for human consumption.