hornbeam

[ hawrn-beem ]

noun
  1. any North American shrub or tree belonging to the genus Carpinus, of the birch family, yielding a hard, heavy wood, as C. caroliniana(American hornbeam ).

Origin of hornbeam

1
First recorded in 1570–80; horn + beam

Words Nearby hornbeam

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How to use hornbeam in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hornbeam

hornbeam

/ (ˈhɔːnˌbiːm) /


noun
  1. any tree of the betulaceous genus Carpinus, such as C. betulus of Europe and Asia, having smooth grey bark and hard white wood

  2. the wood of any of these trees

Origin of hornbeam

1
C14: from horn + beam, referring to its tough wood
  • Brit equivalent: ironwood

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