American sycamore
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən ˈsɪkəmɔr/
- US
- The American sycamore is easily recognized by its peeling, patchy bark and massive trunk.
Examples
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Many city parks in the Midwest are lined with American sycamore trees, admired for their impressive size and shade.
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The leaves of the American sycamore turn yellow and brown in the autumn before falling.
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Look at that giant American sycamore!
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The American sycamore grows tall and majestic.
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Many city parks in the Midwest are lined with American sycamore trees, admired for their impressive size and shade.
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The American sycamore is easily recognized by its peeling, patchy bark and massive trunk.
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The leaves of the American sycamore turn yellow and brown in the autumn before falling.
Synonyms
A large tree with pale, peeling bark and broad leaves that gives good shade
A large tree with pale, peeling bark, broad leaves, and round seed balls that gives shade
A very large tree with wide branches and broad leaves that gives shade by rivers
A very large tree with broad branches and peeling bark from eastern and central North America
A very large American sycamore tree with peeling bark and a wide canopy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines the adjective 'American' (of or from America) with the noun 'sycamore' (a large tree), so its meaning as a sycamore species found in America is directly derivable from the constituents. This kind of adjective + noun species label is a common, compositional pattern across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand it.
Etymology
The tree American sycamore got its name when early settlers saw a huge tree in North America that reminded them of the European sycamore. Its white-and-brown, peeling bark and very large trunk made a strong picture, so they added American to show it came from 'America'.