slippery elm

American  

noun

1. an elm, Ulmus rubra, of eastern North America, having a mucilaginous inner bark.

2. the bark of this elm, used as a demulcent.

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slippery elm British  

noun

1. a tree, Ulmus fulva, of E North America, having oblong serrated leaves, notched winged fruits, and a mucilaginous inner bark

2. the bark of this tree, used medicinally as a demulcent

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Etymology

Origin of slippery elm

First recorded in 1740–50

Example Sentences

Whether or not they actually suggested it, the “black ball” recipe contains dried raisins and figs, olive oil, charcoal, glycerin, senna and slippery elm.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 7, 2023

During one such illness, while she was managing a program aimed at reducing psychiatric hospital recidivism, she tried treating herself with herbs – elderberry root and slippery elm – instead of visiting a doctor.

From The Guardian • Dec. 6, 2018

The abortionist—a woman on the outskirts of Tampa, Florida—stuffed her uterus with slippery elm bark and told her not to come back.

From Slate • Dec. 4, 2018

Nature writer Rutherford Platt, writing in the 1940s, said the best way to distinguish a slippery elm from an American elm is by the winter buds — the trees look too similar in growth.

From Washington Post • Feb. 16, 2016

Huddled down in the water between the ferns and moss, I scrubbed myself with the bark of the slippery elm.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George