ailanthus

[ey-lan-thuh s]

noun, plural ai·lan·thus·es.

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

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

Related formsai·lan·thic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ailanthus

Historical Examples of ailanthus

Even the ailanthus blossoms had ceased their snow-like dropping.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
Max, cigarette in hand, was coming across, under the ailanthus tree.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
The ailanthus tree waved in the sunlight before the little house.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
The Ailanthus, or "Tree of Heaven," is best raised in this way.
Trees of the Northern United States
Austin C. Apgar
She had noticed the day before that the ailanthus was growing dusty.
The Early Short Fiction of Edith Wharton, Part 1 (of 10)
Edith Wharton

British Dictionary definitions for ailanthus

ailanthus

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

Word Origin and History for ailanthus

"tree of heaven," 1807, Modern Latin, from Amboyna (Malay) ailanto "tree of the gods;" spelling altered by influence of Greek anthos "flower" (see anther).