elm

American  

[elm] / ɛlm /

noun

elms plural

1. any tree of the genus Ulmus, as U. procera English elm, characterized by the gradually spreading columnar manner of growth of its branches.

2. the wood of such a tree.

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elm British  

/ ɛlm /

noun

1. 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

2. the hard heavy wood of this tree

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• elms
  plural

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

See Examples For:

elm elms

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

Stamp said part of the reason for the species' decline is they prefer very tall elm trees, which flower.

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

The chair and cage - also made from English elm - are due to be auctioned on 6 December.

From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2025

And indeed it was with some relief that the children, tired from the day’s challenges, sat upon them now in the cool shade of the elm.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

However, he added the group found about 100 elm trees in the Quantocks and has planted 430 more disease resistant elms across 38 plots of land.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

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

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

She steered Abe into the large, airy front room, with its 12-foot ceilings and six windows overlooking the bright yellow elms and orange oaks of Central Park and the shadowed East Side skyline beyond.

From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2023

Now the elms are stricken with a disease that afflicts them throughout their range, a disease so serious that many experts believe all efforts to save the elms will in the end be futile.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson