white poplar

noun

1. Also called abele. an Old World poplar, Populus alba, widely cultivated in the U.S., having the underside of the leaves covered with a dense silvery-white down.
2. the soft, straight-grained wood of this tree.

white poplar

noun

1. Also calledabele a Eurasian salicaceous tree, Populus alba, having leaves covered with dense silvery-white hairs
2. another name for tulipwood

Word History and Origins

Origin of white poplar¹

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75

Example Sentences

The arches over the doors were painted with black cows, white poplar trees, and owls.

From Literature

Nearby, the white and green armoured personnel carriers of China’s paramilitary People’s Armed Police raced past, along a corridor of white poplars.

From The Guardian

Trees like white poplar or gray birch generally give way to other species in a few dozen years.

From New York Times

The white poplar is sometimes called the silver-leaved poplar because its dark, glossy leaves are lined with cottony nap.

From Project Gutenberg

The European white poplar, Populus alba L., with light gray bark and leaves, white wooly beneath, is often found near old houses and along roadsides.

From Project Gutenberg