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Glite Dictionary
Acer saccharum

Acer saccharum

7.9
A North American tree with pointed leaves that gives sap for maple syrup
  • noun
  • /ˈeɪsər ˈsækhərəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : arce azucarero
  • Each spring, farmers tap Acer saccharum to collect the sap used in making maple syrup.

Examples

  • The hard wood of Acer saccharum is prized by furniture makers for its durability and attractive grain.

  • The dense forests of Vermont are known for the abundance of Acer saccharum, or sugar maple, trees.

  • The Acer saccharum is known for its beautiful fall foliage.

  • Many people enjoy the sweet syrup from Acer saccharum trees.

  • Every spring, farmers tap Acer saccharum to collect the sap used in making maple syrup.

  • The dense forests of Vermont are known for the abundance of Acer saccharum, or sugar maple, trees.

  • The hard wood of Acer saccharum is prized by furniture makers for its durability and attractive grain.

Synonyms

sugar maple
vsAcer saccharum
  • US
4 3.6

A North American tree with hard wood and a sweet liquid used to make syrup and sugar

is the formal scientific name for the same tree
rock maple
vsAcer saccharum
  • US
4.8

A large North American tree with hard wood used for furniture and sap used to make syrup

is narrower, naming the exact species mainly valued for syrup and hardwood

Surface Forms

Acer saccharum singular
Acer saccharums plural

Morphology

Acer + saccharum

This is a Latin binomial (scientific) name rather than a normal English phrase; the second element 'saccharum' is not a common English word (definition not provided), and 'Acer' as a genus label does not transparently equal 'maple' for a B1 learner. Even though the Latin root sacchar- relates to 'sugar', species names are not regular compositional English expressions, so the overall meaning ('sugar maple') would not be reliably derivable by an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Acer saccharum comes from Latin words Acer meaning 'maple' and saccharum meaning 'sugar'. People tap its sweet sap each spring to make maple syrup and sugar, so the name explains why we call it the 'sugar maple' today.