Definition of: hickory

(hik′ər·ē) noun plural ·ries
1. An American tree of the walnut family (genus Carya), yielding an edible nut and having hard, tough, heavy wood: also called shellbark.
2. Something made of this wood, as a walking stick or a switch.
3. A strong cotton fabric, usually twilled: used for men's trousers and shirts.
—Old Hickory Andrew Jackson: so nicknamed for his tough unyielding character.
—adjective
1. Having a growth of hickory trees.
2. Made of hickory.
3. Tough, like hickory wood.
4. Pertaining to a hickory switch, used in punishment: hickory discipline. [<Algonquian pawcohiccoro]