elm
Americannoun
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any tree of the genus Ulmus, as U. procera English elm, characterized by the gradually spreading columnar manner of growth of its branches.
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the wood of such a tree.
noun
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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
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the hard heavy wood of this tree
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of elm
before 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German elm; akin to Old Norse almr, Latin ulmus
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
To better understand its ecological effects, Jusino and her colleagues studied dead elm trees both with and without golden oyster mushrooms.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026
However, Dutch elm disease means many trees die before they reach their full height.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
And when things feel hopeless, we step outside our door and watch the golden light stream through our old California elm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025
Scientists had feared the ash would go the way of the elm, which has been almost wiped out by Dutch elm disease.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2025
And sure enough, presently he led them up another set of stairs into an empty cellar, then through the cellar doors onto a quiet street lined with elm trees and old houses.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
The three at 350 S. Grand Ave. were Chinese elms, while the others nearby were ficus trees, Valenzuela said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2025
The cloaked trees have created a mysterious and striking effect across the city and its suburbs, with purple and green leaves of Japanese maples or elms barely visible behind translucent tulle.
From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2024
Tallamy described the idea that native plants aren’t hardy enough to survive in cities as “ridiculous,” pointing to the example of the oaks and elms of Washington, D.C.
From Slate ● Mar. 16, 2024
A Lincolnshire oak tree which survived a wartime bomb and one of the UK's most famous elms are in the running to be crowned Tree of the Year 2023.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2023
He altered direction and raced up the lane toward the elms.
From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
