sycamore

CEFRB2

/ˈsɪkəmoɹ/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A large tree with broad leaves.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A large British and European species of maple, Acer pseudoplatanus, known in North America as the sycamore maple.

Examples

  • The road was flanked by century-old sycamore trees.

  • How high does a sycamore grow?

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
3
Synonyms
4

Also pronounced

  • /ˈsɪkəmɔː/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings
  1. A large tree bearing edible fruit, Ficus sycomorus, allied to the common fig, found in Egypt and Syria.

  2. Any of several North American plane trees, of the genus Platanus, especially Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore), distinguished by its mottled bark which flakes off in large irregular masses.

More examples

In context
  • On his dark face were white sycamore patches.

  • Stars shining bright above you / Night breezes seem to whisper, I love you / Birds singin' in the sycamore trees

  • The thronged boughs of the shadowy sycamore / Still bear young leaflets half the summer through

Quick test

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The large blank tree in the park dropped its spiky seed balls in autumn.

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Origin

noun

Circa 1350 as Middle English sicamour, from Old French sicamor, from Latin sȳcomorus, from Ancient Greek σῡκόμορος (sūkómoros, literally “fig-mulberry”), from σῦκον (sûkon, “fig”) + μόρον (móron, “mulberry”). Possibly influenced by Hebrew שִׁקְמָה (shikmá, “fig-mulberry”). In the 16th c. applied to the European maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), in the early 19th c. to various plane tree species introduced to North America, perhaps in analogy to their shadiness.