box elder

English - English

Definition of box elder in English English dictionary

common shade tree of eastern and central United States

A North American maple tree (Acer negundo) having pinnately compound leaves with coarsely toothed to lobed leaflets. Also called ash-leaved maple. Hardy and fast-growing tree (Acer negundo), also called ash-leaved maple, of the maple family, native to the central and eastern U.S. Its compound leaves (rare among maples) consist of three, five, or seven coarsely toothed leaflets. The single seed is borne in a samara (dry, winged fruit). Because of its rapid growth and its drought resistance, it was widely planted for shade by early settlers in the prairie regions of the U.S. Maple syrup and sugar are sometimes obtained from the box elder. Its wood is used for crates, furniture, paper pulp, and charcoal

Related Terms

california box elder

maple of the Pacific coast of the United States; fruits are white when mature

Hyphenation

box eld·er

Turkish pronunciation

bäks eldır

Pronunciation

/ˈbäks ˈeldər/ /ˈbɑːks ˈɛldɜr/

Etymology

[ 'bäks ] (noun.) before 12th century. Middle English, from Old English, from Latin buxus, from Greek pyxos.