sycamore
- Also called buttonwood. any of several North American plane trees, especially Platanus occidentalis, having shallowly lobed ovate leaves, globular seed heads, and wood valued as timber.
- British. the sycamore maple.
- a tree, Ficus sycomorus, of the Near East, related to the common fig, bearing an edible fruit.
Origin of sycamore
Examples from the Web for sycamore
Contemporary Examples
Beside the Scola Brothers Grocery is a sycamore, its branches silhouetted against the white wall.
“A Time to Kill is very autobiographical, and so is Sycamore Row,” Grisham acknowledged.
The two came to America in 1946, and he grew up in Sycamore.
In 1977, back-up singer/girlfriend Gloria Jones wrapped their purple Mini around a sycamore tree.
Historical Examples
I think he signed his cut of sycamore, and not my cut at him.
The Confessions of a Caricaturist, Vol. 1 (of 2)Harry Furniss
He came on slowly, and he leaned for rest against a sycamore at the edge of the pavement.
The Long RollMary Johnston
The moon shines on the nightingale singing in the sycamore tree.
Working With the Working WomanCornelia Stratton Parker
Maple is sometimes Mapple and sycamore is corrupted into Sicklemore.
The Romance of NamesErnest Weekley
I had not thought of beech or sycamore, but they are now sown.
More Letters of Charles Darwin Volume IICharles Darwin
sycamore
- a Eurasian maple tree, Acer pseudoplatanus, naturalized in Britain and North America, having five-lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and two-winged fruits
- US and Canadian an American plane tree, Platanus occidentalisSee plane tree
- Also: sycomore a moraceous tree, Ficus sycomorus, of N Africa and W Asia, having an edible figlike fruit
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for sycamore
n.
mid-14c., from Old French sicamor, from Latin sycomorus, from Greek sykomoros, from sykon "fig" + moron "mulberry." Or perhaps a folk-etymology for Hebrew shiqmah "mulberry." A Biblical word, originally used for a species of fig tree (Ficus sycomorus) common in Egypt, Syria, etc., whose leaves somewhat resemble those of the mulberry; applied from 1580s to Acer pseudoplatanus, a large species of European maple, and from 1814 to the North American shade tree that is also called buttonwood (Platanus occidentalis, introduced to Europe from Virginia 1637 by Filius Tradescant). Some writers have used the more Hellenic sycomore in reference to the Biblical tree for the sake of clarity.