devil's club: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowSpecialist (Botanical/Ecological/Regional)
Quick answer
What does “devil's club” mean?
A tall, spiny shrub (Oplopanax horridus) native to the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A tall, spiny shrub (Oplopanax horridus) native to the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Any of several other thorny or dangerous plants; metaphorically, a difficult or hostile situation or environment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The plant is not native to the UK. The term is essentially unknown in British English except among specialist botanists or horticulturalists.
Connotations
In the US (especially Pacific Northwest), it connotes a specific, recognizable native plant and the physical challenge of hiking through dense, thorny undergrowth. In the UK, it has no inherent cultural connotations.
Frequency
Common term in the Pacific Northwest US and coastal Canada; virtually absent elsewhere in the English-speaking world.
Grammar
How to Use “devil's club” in a Sentence
[The/This/Our] [area/path] is choked with devil's club.We had to cut through a patch of devil's club.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “devil's club” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The devil's-club-infested slope was impassable.
American English
- We bushwhacked through a devil's-club-choked ravine.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in botanical, ecological, ethnobotanical, and forestry papers.
Everyday
Used in regional conversation in the Pacific Northwest regarding hiking, gardening, or landscaping.
Technical
Specific term in botany, forestry, and ethnobotany for the species.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “devil's club”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “devil's club”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “devil's club”
- Misspelling as 'devils club' (without the apostrophe).
- Confusing it with other spiny plants like 'devil's walking stick' (Aralia spinosa) or 'thistle'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is not poisonous, but its spines cause significant skin irritation. Parts of the plant are used in traditional medicine.
It is possible but not recommended for most gardens due to its aggressive, thorny nature and preference for very wet, shaded forest conditions.
They are different species. Devil's club (Oplopanax horridus) is a shrub of wet western forests. Devil's walking stick (Aralia spinosa) is a small tree of eastern North American woodlands.
The name refers to the plant's daunting, painful spines ('devilish') and its tendency to form dense, club-like thickets that are difficult to pass through.
A tall, spiny shrub (Oplopanax horridus) native to the Pacific Northwest of North America.
Devil's club is usually specialist (botanical/ecological/regional) in register.
Devil's club: in British English it is pronounced /ˈdevəlz klʌb/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈdevəlz klʌb/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a club (a heavy stick) covered in devilish thorns that grows in a dense club-like thicket.
Conceptual Metaphor
AN IMPENETRABLE BARRIER IS A THICKET OF DEVIL'S CLUB (e.g., 'Navigating the bureaucracy was like wading through devil's club.').
Practice
Quiz
In which region is 'devil's club' a commonly recognized term?