The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Cornel \Cor"nel\ (-n?l), n. [OF. cornille, cornoille, F.
   cornouille, cornel berry, LL. cornolium cornel tree, fr. L.
   cornus, fr. cornu horn, in allusion to the hardness of the
   wood. See Horn.]
   1. (Bot.) The cornelian cherry (Cornus Mas), a European
      shrub with clusters of small, greenish flowers, followed
      by very acid but edible drupes resembling cherries.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Any species of the genus Cornus, as Cornus florida,
      the flowering cornel; Cornus stolonifera, the osier
      cornel; Cornus Canadensis, the dwarf cornel, or
      bunchberry.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

cornel
    n 1: a tree of shrub of the genus Cornus often having showy
         bracts resembling flowers [syn: dogwood, dogwood tree,
         cornel]