Adjacent Words

Alder definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

AL'DER, n. [L. alnus.]
A tree, usually growing in moist land, and belonging to the genus Alnus. The name is applied also to some species of other genera.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: wood of any of various alder trees; resistant to underwater rot; used for bridges etc
2: north temperate shrubs or trees having toothed leaves and conelike fruit; bark is used in tanning and dyeing and the wood is rot-resistant [syn: alder, alder tree]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old English alor; akin to Old High German elira alder, Latin alnus Date: before 12th century any of a genus (Alnus) of toothed-leaved trees or shrubs of the birch family that have catkins which become woody, that typically grow in cool moist ground, and that have wood used especially in turnery; also its wood

Merriam Webster's

biographical name Kurt 1902-1958 German chemist

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. any tree of the genus Alnus, related to the birch, with catkins and toothed leaves. Phrases and idioms: alder buckthorn a shrub, Frangula alnus, related to the buckthorn. Etymology: OE alor, aler, rel. to L alnus, with euphonic d

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Alder Al"der ([add]l"d[~e]r), Aller Al"ler ([add]l"l[~e]r), a. [From ealra, alra, gen. pl. of AS. eal. The d is excrescent.] Of all; -- used in composition; as, alderbest, best of all, alderwisest, wisest of all. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Alder Al"der ([add]l"d[~e]r), n. [OE. aldir, aller, fr. AS. alr, aler, alor, akin to D. els, G. erle, Icel. erlir, erli, Swed. al, Dan. elle, el, L. alnus, and E. elm.] (Bot.) A tree, usually growing in moist land, and belonging to the genus Alnus. The wood is used by turners, etc.; the bark by dyers and tanners. In the U. S. the species of alder are usually shrubs or small trees. Black alder. (a) A European shrub (Rhamnus frangula); Alder buckthorn. (b) An American species of holly (Ilex verticillata), bearing red berries.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(alders) An alder is a species of tree or shrub that grows especially in cool, damp places and loses its leaves in winter. N-VAR