elm

[ elm ]

/ ɛlm /

Save This Word!

noun

any tree of the genus Ulmus, as U. procera(English elm ), characterized by the gradually spreading columnar manner of growth of its branches.Compare American elm, elm family.

the wood of such a tree.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of elm

before 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German elm; akin to Old Norse almr,Latin ulmus

Words nearby elm

Ellison, Ellison, Ralph, Ellora, Ellsworth, Ellsworth Land, elm, Elman, El Mansura, elm bark beetle, elm blight, Elmer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use elm in a sentence

A further experiment to plant elm trees beyond center field was mercifully cut short.
100 Years of Wrigley Field: Are the Chicago Cubs Horrible Because of the Ballpark?|Luke Epplin|March 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A red convertible turned onto Elm Street and went down the hill.
Jimmy Breslin on JFK’s Assassination: Two Classic Columns|Jimmy Breslin|November 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
As I opened the door to my house, a scene from Nightmare on Elm Street started to explode.
‘Has Beverly Hills Fallen Yet?’|Shelby Coffey III|April 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This year, she starred as the protagonist Nancy Holbrook in the remake of the 1980s horror movie A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Dragon Tattoo Actress Cast|Gina Piccalo|August 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST

As with most horror remakes, the new Nightmare on Elm Street finds the tune but loses the rhythm.
Stop Remaking Horror Movies!|Keith Phipps|April 29, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Since Henry Hawk could sit in a great elm far up the road and see himp.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
The three happy children stood under the elm and looked up at the tiny hanging nest.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
There were a great many more there once, and we used to call it Elm Grove in old times.
David Fleming's Forgiveness|Margaret Murray Robertson
The glade was thickening with shadows, but the sunlight still marked the top of an elm and made glorious the zenith.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
The light had left the top of the elm and the fleecy clouds overhead were no longer dazzling because of their borrowed splendor.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter

British Dictionary definitions for elm

elm

/ (ɛlm) /

noun

any ulmaceous tree of the genus Ulmus, occurring in the N hemisphere, having serrated leaves and winged fruits (samaras): cultivated for shade, ornament, and timber

the hard heavy wood of this tree

See also slippery elm, wahoo 1, wych-elm

Word Origin for elm

Old English elm; related to Old Norse almr, Old High German elm, Latin ulmus

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