alder

¹

[ awl-der ]

noun

1. any shrub or tree belonging to the genus Alnus, of the birch family, growing in moist places in northern temperate or colder regions and having toothed, simple leaves and flowers in catkins.
2. any of various trees or shrubs resembling an alder.

Alder

²

[ ahl-der; German ahl-duhr ]

noun

1. Kurt [kurt, k, oo, r, t], 1902–58, German chemist: Nobel Prize 1950.

alder

/ ˈɔːldə /

noun

1. any N temperate betulaceous shrub or tree of the genus Alnus, having toothed leaves and conelike fruits. The bark is used in dyeing and tanning and the wood for bridges, etc because it resists underwater rot
2. any of several similar trees or shrubs

Word History and Origins

Origin of alder¹

before 900; Middle English alder, aller, Old English alor, al ( e ) r; cognate with Old Norse ǫlr, Middle Low German al ( l ) er < Germanic *álusṓ; akin to Middle High German alze < Germanic *alū́sō, Old High German elira, erila ( German Erle ) < Germanic *álisṓ, Middle Low German els ( e ) < Germanic *alísō, hence Germanic *álus, alísō; compare Polish olcha, Russian olʾkhá < Indo-European dialect *alisā; Lithuanian al̃ksnis, Latin alnus < Indo-European dialect *alsnos

Word History and Origins

Origin of alder¹

Old English alor; related to Old High German elira, Latin alnus

Example Sentences

The agency wants to grow and plant several different tree species, including conifers like spruce and pine as well as oak, alder, and birch.

From Singularity Hub 

Her experiments showed — in opposition to conventional wisdom — that fir trees did better when shaded and crowded by birch and alder.

From Washington Post

Maple, alder, birch elm and the cedar family are the main culprits at this time.

From Washington Post

Salmon, tuna, sturgeon, mussels, oysters, and sable are marinated and smoked using hickory and alder wood.

From The Daily Beast

He was promoted to CEO in 2006 with the resignation of Jens Alder, who clashed with the Swiss government.

From The Daily Beast

Thirdly, there certainly was gold on their Alder Creek claims, and Lucky's nugget was probably now uncovered.

From Project Gutenberg

The alder-buyer's wrinkled eyes were peering sideways at an auction announcement pinned to the wall.

From Project Gutenberg

They stopped, I shut my door gently, and mounted on an alder tree planted against the garden wall.

From Project Gutenberg

Later, an old wagon stand was kept there by John Alder, who had a large run of customers.

From Project Gutenberg

The alder bushes grew close up to the walls of the cottage, and by stooping a little she managed to remain unobserved.

From Project Gutenberg