smooth sumac

noun

1. a shrub or small tree, Rhus glabra, of the cashew family, native to North America, having pinnate leaves and green flowers in a dense terminal cluster.

Word History and Origins

Origin of smooth sumac¹

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Example Sentences

Either as a tree, or as a shrub, the smooth sumac is excellent for ornamental planting, being particularly desirable on terraces or hillsides, where mass effects are desired.

From Project Gutenberg

From the smooth sumac they reap a harvest in midsummer, and in March they get a good grist of pollen from the skunk-cabbage.

From Project Gutenberg

A bullet struck a rock two feet below where Racey lay on his stomach, his rifle-barrel poked out between two shrubs of smooth sumac—another bored the hole of a gray stub at his back.

From Project Gutenberg

An exquisite cut-leaved variety of the smooth sumac adorns many fine lawns.

From Project Gutenberg

The twigs and leaves are similar to those of the smooth sumac but are conspicuously hairy.

From Project Gutenberg