carpinus

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A small genus of trees or tall shrubs, of the natural order Cupuliferæ. The species have deciduous leaves, like those of the beech, and hard tough wood, and are natives of Europe, the Levant, and North America. The hornbeam of Europe, C. Betulus, and the hornbeam or blue beech of the United States, C. Caroliniana, are small trees with heavy, very hard, and strong wood, which is sometimes used for levers, the handles of tools, cogs, etc.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. mostly deciduous monoecious trees or shrubs: hornbeams; sometimes placed in subfamily Carpinaceae