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alder
[ awl-der ]
/ ˈɔl dər /
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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.
any of various trees or shrubs resembling an alder.
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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
Words nearby alder
Aldebaran, Aldeburgh, aldehyde, Alden, al dente, alder, alder buckthorn, alderfly, alder flycatcher, alderman, aldermanry
Other definitions for alder (2 of 2)
Alder
[ ahl-der; German ahl-duhr ]
/ ˌɑl dər; German ˈɑl dər /
noun
Kurt [kurt; German koort], /kɜrt; German kʊərt/, 1902–58, German chemist: Nobel Prize 1950.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use alder in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for alder
alder
/ (ˈɔːldə) /
noun
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
any of several similar trees or shrubs
Word Origin for alder
Old English alor; related to Old High German elira, Latin alnus
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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