water elm

noun

1. planer tree.

Word History and Origins

Origin of water elm¹

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

From early fall until gathering time, the father and boy kept their eyes peered for the golden-green clumps with white berries that grew high up in the forks of water elm and sycamore trees.

From Literature

Three of the five native elms are called water elm; three are called red elm; three are called rock elm.

From Project Gutenberg

The water elm, Planera aquatica Gmel., is a small tree with slender branches forming a low broad head and is found in swamps in the valley of the Wabash River in this State.

From Project Gutenberg

The silvery Bryum shows abundantly on the sandy fields and the thick green velvet mats of the Anomodon creep up the bases of the big water elms in the swamps.

From Project Gutenberg