noun
- Plural of bourtree; elder trees or elder shrubs, especially the common European elder (Sambucus nigra).
Usage: Scottish and Northern English dialect; archaic or regional
Examples
- The old cottage was surrounded by bourtrees that had grown wild over the years.
- In Scottish folklore, bourtrees were believed to have protective properties.
- The children gathered berries from the bourtrees in late summer.
- Bourtrees flourished in the damp soil near the stream.