sugar maple

American  

noun

1. any of several maples having a sweet sap, especially Acer saccharum (the state tree of New York, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin), having a short trunk and long, curving branches, yielding a hard wood used for making furniture and being the chief source of maple sugar.

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sugar maple British  

noun

1. a North American maple tree, Acer saccharum, that is grown as a source of sugar, which is extracted from the sap, and for its hard wood

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Other Word Forms

• sugar-maple
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sugar maple

An Americanism dating back to 1725–35

Example Sentences

Old growth forests of sugar maple, birch and hemlock towered over our tents, cushioned our trails with pine needles and scented our days.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2024

This nest, high in a sugar maple in the hospital’s courtyard, was massive—and looked like metal.

From Scientific American • Jul. 18, 2023

Nestled near the top of a sugar maple tree was a Eurasian magpie nest that resembled a cyberpunk porcupine, with thin metal rods sticking out in every direction.

From New York Times • Jul. 13, 2023

"It doesn't mean we're gonna lose sugar maple throughout its range. It will still exist. It will still thrive in many places."

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2022

Cora sat by the edge of her plot on her block of sugar maple and worked dirt from under her fingernails.

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead