sycamore
Americannoun
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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.
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British. the sycamore maple.
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a tree, Ficus sycomorus, of the Middle East, related to the common fig, bearing an edible fruit.
noun
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a Eurasian maple tree, Acer pseudoplatanus, naturalized in Britain and North America, having five-lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and two-winged fruits
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an American plane tree, Platanus occidentalis See plane tree
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Also: sycomore. a moraceous tree, Ficus sycomorus, of N Africa and W Asia, having an edible figlike fruit
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of sycamore
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sicomore, from Old French from Latin sȳcomorus from Greek sȳkómoros, equivalent to sŷko ( n ) “fig” + mór ( on ) “mulberry” + -os noun suffix, apparently by folk etymology from Semitic; compare Hebrew shiqmāh “sycamore”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A barred owl hooted and shook its feathers in a sycamore above the creek, and red-bellied cooters sunned themselves on half-submerged logs.
From Slate ● Apr. 27, 2026
Red brick buildings stand alongside towering maple, oak, birch and sycamore trees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
The land boasts pine, sycamore, pomegranate, citrus, and California pepper trees, the listing notes, and currently features some equestrian amenities for those wishing to bring horses to their home.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 5, 2026
He is preparing the trunk for the metal work that will keep it upright, with the carving and drilling into the base being the only modification he is making to the sycamore itself.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2025
When I get to the grove, I pull the journal out from the sycamore hollow.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
If a virus or fungus were to sweep through and wipe out birch trees, the overall health of the forest would benefit from having various oaks, ashes, pines, walnuts and sycamores that remained unaffected.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 25, 2024
Today, the young trees planted 22 years ago have grown into mature sycamores and oaks, each shading a sign that bears the name of a firefighter in bold, black print.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 11, 2023
The trees in question include mature cedars, maples, oaks and sycamores.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2023
The fairways are lined by sycamores and eucalyptus trees.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 21, 2023
The flame of the sunset lifted from the mountaintops and dusk came into the valley, and a half darkness came in among the willows and the sycamores.
From "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
