elm

American  

[elm] / ɛlm /

noun

• elms
  plural

1. any tree of the genus Ulmus, as U. procera English elm, characterized by the gradually spreading columnar manner of growth of its branches.

2. the wood of such a tree.

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elm British  

/ ɛlm /

noun

1. any ulmaceous tree of the genus Ulmus, occurring in the N hemisphere, having serrated leaves and winged fruits (samaras): cultivated for shade, ornament, and timber

2. the hard heavy wood of this tree

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• elms
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of elm

before 1000; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Old High German elm; akin to Old Norse almr, Latin ulmus

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elm elms

Notes of well wishes fluttered against the trunk as music rang out, and the group joined hands and swayed in unison for an "elm dance", which some nature lovers and activists believe helps trees heal.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

To better understand its ecological effects, Jusino and her colleagues studied dead elm trees both with and without golden oyster mushrooms.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 2026

Their findings show that temperate woodland species, including oak, elm, and hazel, were present much earlier than suggested by pollen records from Britain.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2026

The Friends of the Quantocks has now planted more than 400 elm trees, the white-letter hairstreak's natural habitat, in a bid to boost their numbers.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

Here the first man and woman were created from trees, the man from an ash, the woman from an elm.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Skyscrapers are something like the opposite of Manhattan’s elms: They cast the most shade at the coolest hours of the day and year.

From Slate ● Jul. 23, 2025

The three at 350 S. Grand Ave. were Chinese elms, while the others nearby were ficus trees, Valenzuela said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2025

A Lincolnshire oak tree which survived a wartime bomb and one of the UK's most famous elms are in the running to be crowned Tree of the Year 2023.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2023

She steered Abe into the large, airy front room, with its 12-foot ceilings and six windows overlooking the bright yellow elms and orange oaks of Central Park and the shadowed East Side skyline beyond.

From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2023

Even during a period when a high percentage of the city’s elms were affected, no cases of Dutch elm disease were found among these trees.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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