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

See Examples For:

sugar maple

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

Standing under the old sugar maple, I want to sing a hymn.

From New York Times ● Nov. 24, 2022

Aptly named, the sugar maple is prized for its high sugar content.

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