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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of hornbeam

First recorded in 1570–80; horn + beam

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hornbeam

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

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

A rectangle of hornbeam hedge circumscribes the area, its shape echoed by the central pergola.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2016

She walked away with Will, back along the grass under the hornbeam trees, and turned at the first corner they came to.

From "The Subtle Knife" by Philip Pullman