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• alder
  alder

  noun

  any shrub or tree belonging to the genus Alnus, of the birch family, growing in moist places in northern temperate or colder regions and having toothed, simple leaves and flowers in catkins.
• Alder
  Alder

  noun

  Kurt 1902–58, German chemist: Nobel Prize 1950.

alder

¹ American  

[awl-der] / ˈɔl dər /

noun

• alders
  plural

1. any shrub or tree belonging to the genus Alnus, of the birch family, growing in moist places in northern temperate or colder regions and having toothed, simple leaves and flowers in catkins.

2. any of various trees or shrubs resembling an alder.

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Alder ² American  

[ahl-der, ahl-duhr] / ˌɑl dər, ˈɑl dər /

noun

1. Kurt 1902–58, German chemist: Nobel Prize 1950.

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alder British  

/ ˈɔːldə /

noun

1. any N temperate betulaceous shrub or tree of the genus Alnus, having toothed leaves and conelike fruits. The bark is used in dyeing and tanning and the wood for bridges, etc because it resists underwater rot

2. any of several similar trees or shrubs

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• alders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of alder

before 900; Middle English alder, aller, Old English alor, al ( e ) r; cognate with Old Norse ǫlr, Middle Low German al ( l ) er < Germanic *álusṓ; akin to Middle High German alze < Germanic *alū́sō, Old High German elira, erila ( German Erle ) < Germanic *álisṓ, Middle Low German els ( e ) < Germanic *alísō, hence Germanic *álus, alísō; compare Polish olcha, Russian olʾkhá < Indo-European dialect *alisā; Lithuanian al̃ksnis, Latin alnus < Indo-European dialect *alsnos

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

alder Alder alders

One was made from alder wood, while the other came from either willow or poplar.

From Science Daily ● May 24, 2026

They look for hardy alder trees, which indicate an area that had been dug up for mining years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2025

It includes familiar names like oak, birch, and alder, alongside less common species such as coast redwood and Corsican pine, which it is hoped will lead to a more resilient woodland.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2025

The spacious kitchen is also accented with rich hardwood flooring, stone design elements, solid alder doors, and dual-pane windows.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2025

They planted it with trees—hazel, alder, birch, and dogwood—as well as privet hedges and holly bushes.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

Alder and ash pollen indicated vegetation associated with riverbanks and seashores, which occur along the coast and in the nearby hinterland.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

Earlier this year, EquiTrust lent $500 million to 10 companies, with names including Harborcrest, Alder Ridge and Cedarpoint, the insurance filings show.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Writing this week in Science, Jonathan Alder, Ph.D., and colleagues describe a combination of genetic changes that allows melanoma cells to dramatically extend their lifespan while fueling rapid tumor growth.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 1, 2026

The eight-week season will feature 86 concerts in London, Gateshead, Bristol, Middlesborough, Sunderland and Mold, with appearances by percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, soprano Louise Alder and pianist Yuja Wang.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

Over the music, Carl, the store clerk, would answer the phone: “Open nine to nine, seven days a week. Corner of Fifth and Alder, next to the Dairy Maid.”

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

A walk along the Gabrielino Trail with consulting arborist Alison Lancaster reveals a wealth of information about the trees of Los Angeles, including white alders, Torrey pines and coast live oaks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2024

As we spoke, a cool spring rushed out beside our feet from a low stand of alders.

From New York Times ● Aug. 31, 2022

“The cattail would be good. The alders and the willows would be a nice improvement.”

From Washington Post ● Sep. 11, 2021

Warm-hued leaves offset the various shades of year-round green, in the form of bigleaf maples, vine maples, red alders and black cottonwood.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 18, 2021

He grabbed one of the alders he had used for their shelter and pulled it past the redwood roots.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret