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Glite Dictionary
🌳 A pale-leaved tree 🪵 Pale hard wood
whitebeam

whitebeam

9.0
A European tree with pale, often silvery leaves and white bark
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : sorbete
  • In autumn, the berries of the whitebeam provide food for wildlife.

Examples

  • Birds often build their nests in the branches of the whitebeam.

  • The whitebeam tree stood majestically in the park.

  • The whitebeam in the park is easily recognized by its pale leaves.

  • I saw a whitebeam with beautiful silvery leaves.

  • The beautiful whitebeam stands out in the garden with its striking silvery leaves.

  • In spring, the whitebeam tree is covered in clusters of creamy white flowers.

  • The whitebeam is a popular choice for landscaping due to its attractive bark and foliage.

Surface Forms

whitebeam singular
whitebeams plural

Morphology

whitebeam = white + beam (semi-transparent) = white + beam

Formally a compound of 'white' + 'beam', but the sense 'beam' = 'tree' is archaic/rare so learners may not infer the tree meaning from the components.

Etymology

Whitebeam comes from white and an old English word beam that meant 'tree' or 'wood'. So, it was the 'white tree' because of its pale, often silvery leaves and light bark, which helps you remember this pale-leaved tree.