red alder

American  

noun

1. a tree, Alnus oregona (orA. rubra ), of western North America, having smooth, mottled light gray bark and oval serrate leaves.

2. the hard, red wood of this tree, used for making furniture.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• red-alder
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of red alder

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

At one point, they scooped silt from the lakebed of the Glines Canyon Reservoir and placed it into planting boxes, where they attempted to grow red alder.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 18, 2023

The most common tree species are red alder, big leaf maple and beaked hazelnut.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 21, 2022

In one storage room, glass jars full of pollens — red alder, mountain cedar, bottlebrush — dust mites, cockroach, cattle hair, aspergillus, and other allergens lined the shelves.

From Salon • Nov. 22, 2020

Smaller trees such as tanoak and red alder may have much shorter life spans, but they sequester more carbon than redwoods and firs when they are young and growing fast.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 10, 2018

Mama tried everything: red alder bark tea, hot water with onion juice.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney