sycamore

American  

[sik-uh-mawr, -mohr] / ˈsɪk əˌmɔr, -ˌmoʊr /

noun

1. Also called buttonwood.  any of several North American plane trees, especially Platanus occidentalis, having shallowly lobed ovate leaves, globular seed heads, and wood valued as timber.

2. British. the sycamore maple.

3. a tree, Ficus sycomorus, of the Middle East, related to the common fig, bearing an edible fruit.

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sycamore British  

/ ˈsɪkəˌmɔː /

noun

1. a Eurasian maple tree, Acer pseudoplatanus, naturalized in Britain and North America, having five-lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and two-winged fruits

2. an American plane tree, Platanus occidentalis See plane tree

3. Also: sycomore.  a moraceous tree, Ficus sycomorus, of N Africa and W Asia, having an edible figlike fruit

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Etymology

Origin of sycamore

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sicomore, from Old French from Latin sȳcomorus from Greek sȳkómoros, equivalent to sŷko ( n ) “fig” + mór ( on ) “mulberry” + -os noun suffix, apparently by folk etymology from Semitic; compare Hebrew shiqmāh “sycamore”

Example Sentences

A barred owl hooted and shook its feathers in a sycamore above the creek, and red-bellied cooters sunned themselves on half-submerged logs.

From Slate • Apr. 27, 2026

The land boasts pine, sycamore, pomegranate, citrus, and California pepper trees, the listing notes, and currently features some equestrian amenities for those wishing to bring horses to their home.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 5, 2026

Participants spend months learning how to plant orchards, raise free-range livestock and tap syrup from the thickets of maple and sycamore trees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

After all, the proposed new measures might not have saved the famous sycamore: its felling involved trespass onto land owned by the Northumberland National Park.

From BBC • Jul. 14, 2025

Killconey lay watching the gate from behind a sycamore in the woods.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques