alder

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: al=der

CIDE DICTIONARY

alder, n. [OE. aldir, aller, fr. AS. alr, aler, alor, akin to D. els, G. erle, Icel. erlir, erli, Swed. al, Dan. elle, el, L. alnus, and E. elm.].

 A tree, usually growing in moist land, and belonging to the genus Alnus. The wood is used by turners, etc.; the bark by dyers and tanners. In the U. S. the species of alder are usually shrubs or small trees.  [1913 Webster]

Black alder. (a) A European shrub (Rhamnus frangula); Alder buckthorn. (b) An American species of holly (Ilex verticillata), bearing red berries.

alder, a. [From ealra, alra, gen. pl. of AS. eal. The d is excrescent.].

 Of all; -- used in composition; as, alderbest, best of all, alderwisest, wisest of all.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

alder, n. any tree of the genus Alnus, related to the birch, with catkins and toothed leaves.

Idiom

alder buckthorn a shrub, Frangula alnus, related to the buckthorn.

Etymology

OE alor, aler, rel. to L alnus, with euphonic d