sycamore
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See also: Sycamore
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Circa 1350 as Middle English sicamour, from Old French sicamor, from Latin sȳcomorus, from Ancient Greek σῡκόμορος (sūkómoros, literally “fig-mulberry”), from σῦκον (sûkon, “fig”) + μόρον (móron, “mulberry”). Possibly influenced by Hebrew שִׁקְמָה (shikmá, “fig-mulberry”).
In the 16th c. applied to the European maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), in the early 19th c. to various plane tree species introduced to North America, perhaps in analogy to their shadiness.[1]
Pronunciation[edit]
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsɪkəmɔɹ/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsɪkəmɔː/
Audio (US) (file) - Homophone: sycomore
- Hyphenation: syc‧a‧more
Noun[edit]
sycamore (countable and uncountable, plural sycamores)
- (US) Any of several North American plane trees, of the genus Platanus, especially Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore), distinguished by its mottled bark which flakes off in large irregular masses.
- Synonyms: planetree, plane
- Hyponym: buttonwood
- 1931, Gus Kahn (lyrics), Fabian Andre; Wilbur Schwandt (music), “Dream a Little Dream of Me”:
- Stars shining bright above you / Night breezes seem to whisper, I love you / Birds singin' in the sycamore trees
- 1976, Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift, New York: Avon, →ISBN, page 408:
- On his dark face were white sycamore patches.
- (Britain) A large British and European species of maple, Acer pseudoplatanus, known in North America as the sycamore maple.
- 1899, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “The Day-Dream”, in Pictures & poems:
- The thronged boughs of the shadowy sycamore / Still bear young leaflets half the summer through
- (originally) A large tree bearing edible fruit, Ficus sycomorus, allied to the common fig, found in Egypt and Syria.
- Synonyms: sycomore, sycomore fig, fig-mulberry
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
Platanus
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sycamore maple — see sycamore maple
Ficus sycomorus
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References[edit]
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “sycamore”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Further reading[edit]
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
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- en:Fig trees
- en:Maples
- en:Proteales order plants