hornbeam

American  

[hawrn-beem] / ˈhɔrnˌbim /

noun

1. any North American shrub or tree belonging to the genus Carpinus, of the birch family, yielding a hard, heavy wood, as C. caroliniana American hornbeam.

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hornbeam British  

/ ˈhɔːnˌbiːm /

noun

1. any tree of the betulaceous genus Carpinus, such as C. betulus of Europe and Asia, having smooth grey bark and hard white wood

2. the wood of any of these trees

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Etymology

Origin of hornbeam

First recorded in 1570–80; horn + beam

Example Sentences

A selection of trees, including honey locust, English oak and hornbeam, will now be planted along South Quay.

From BBC • Oct. 6, 2022

Hardman wanders through the wood and finds a small hornbeam, which is twisting up towards the light, struggling to make its way in the shade of a mature oak.

From The Guardian • Mar. 14, 2020

Later, I consider the European hornbeam tree before me, whose bare branches jut out conically, and an Asian dogwood tree, whose bark reddens in the winter.

From New York Times • Jan. 2, 2018

The inventory also includes such underused but lovely native trees as the scarlet and overcup oaks, the Kentucky coffee tree and the American hornbeam and hophornbeam.

From Washington Post • Dec. 18, 2017

“There,” I said, pointing, and he followed me to the table under the hornbeam tree.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk