ailanthus

[ ey-lan-thuhs ]

/ eɪˈlæn θəs /

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noun, plural ai·lan·thus·es.

any tree belonging to the genus Ailanthus, of the quassia family, especially A. altissima, widely grown in cities.

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Compare tree of heaven.

Origin of ailanthus

1788; <New Latin Ailantus, Ailanthus (th by association with Greek ánthos flower) <Central Moluccan ai lanit(o), ai lanit(e), equivalent to ai tree, wood + lanit sky + -o, -e a definite article

OTHER WORDS FROM ailanthus

ai·lan·thic, adjective

Words nearby ailanthus

AIH, Aiken, aikido, aikona, ail, ailanthus, ailanthus silkworm, Aileen, aileron, aileron roll, ailette

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ailanthus in a sentence

I called his attention to the fact that the ailanthus lives only to express itself, while the maple gives sugar.
Riviera Towns|Herbert Adams Gibbons
The house at the end of the lane could be glimpsed through its grove of locusts, paper mulberry and towering ailanthus.
The Stronghold|Miriam Haynie
In the Balsam Poplar the buds are large, sharp-pointed, and gummy; in the Ailanthus they cannot be seen.
Trees of the Northern United States|Austin C. Apgar
Medium-sized tree (20 to 40 ft.), with Ailanthus-like leaves which turn bright red in autumn, and remain long on the tree.
Trees of the Northern United States|Austin C. Apgar

Cynthia will thrive on nothing except ailanthus, though it will eat one or two other things, but not oak.
Scientific American, Volume XXIV., No. 12, March 18, 1871|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ailanthus

ailanthus

/ (eɪˈlænθəs) /

noun plural -thuses

an E Asian simaroubaceous deciduous tree, Ailanthus altissima, planted in Europe and North America, having pinnate leaves, small greenish flowers, and winged fruitsAlso called: tree of heaven

Word Origin for ailanthus

C19: New Latin, from native name (in Amboina) ai lanto tree (of) the gods

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012