sycamore

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The Oriental sycamore, which is the European species, is more hardy in these respects than the native one and is therefore often chosen as a substitute Value for planting: The Occidental sycamore is now planted very little but the Oriental sycamore is used quite extensively in its place especially as a shade tree.

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Definitions (15)

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  1. noun Any of various deciduous trees of the genus Platanus, especially P. occidentalis of eastern North America, having palmately lobed leaves, ball-like, nodding, hairy fruit clusters, and bark that flakes off in large colorful patches. Also called buttonball, buttonwood.
  2. noun A Eurasian deciduous maple tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) having palmately lobed leaves, winged fruits, and greenish flowers.
  3. noun A fig tree (Ficus sycomorus) of Africa and adjacent southwest Asia, mentioned in the Bible, having clusters of figs borne on short leafless twigs.

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Examples (50)

  • I swatted it away without breaking stride Under the big sycamore, the ground was a graveyard of dead branches. —  Muller, Marcia - [McCone 08] Eye of the Storm UC FR.htm
  • His axe would flash and bite into a sugar-tree or sycamore, and down it would come. —  The Every-day Life of Abraham Lincoln
  • But then she recognized it as a sycamore, and the last thing she wanted was to get more and more sick. —  Zombie Lover
  • This leads me to believe that this partly accounts for their foraging at night Illustration: NEST OF BARRED OWL We now turned our attention to the tree--truly a monarch of the "forest primeval"--a huge sycamore, about five feet in diameter at the base, with few limbs to aid in climbing. —  Ohio Arbor Day 1913: Arbor and Bird Day Manual Issued for the Benefit of the Schools of our State
  • Around them the forest trees lay on every side, some being great oaks, others beeches, with drooping branches and smooth silvery bark--as well as other species, such as sycamore, ash and lindens Most of the scouts were bubbling over with enthusiasm concerning the outlook before them; but several of the less daring ones might be seen casting furtive glances about as though the prospect of passing the night amidst such lonely surroundings had already commenced to make them feel a little queer No doubt the pride of these fellows would carry them through the initial night; and after that by degrees they would become accustomed to their new experiences. —  The Boy Scouts of Lenox
 

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English sicamour, a kind of fig tree, from Old French sicamor, from Latin sȳcomorus, from Greek sūkomoros, perhaps of Semitic origin; see šqm in Semitic roots.

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  1. The spelling with a is erroneous, being due to confusion with sycamine; formerly and properly sycomore, sicomore, from Middle English sycomore, sygamour, from Old French sycomore, French sycomore = Spanish sicomoro = Portuguese sycomoro, sicomoro = Italian sicomoro = German sycomore, from Latin sycomorus, Middle Latin also sicomorus, sicomerus, from Greek συκόμορος, the mulberry-tree, from σῡκον, a fig, + μόρον, μῶρον, the black mulberry: see more, morel, mulberry.
 

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/ˈsɪkəmoʊr/
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