alder Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun wood of any of various alder trees; resistant to underwater rot; used for bridges etc
  2. noun north temperate shrubs or trees having toothed leaves and conelike fruit; bark is used in tanning and dyeing and the wood is rot-resistant
    alder tree.

WordNet

Al"der noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) 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.
Al"der, Al"ler adjective (Also<
  • Alder
  • Aller
)
Etymology
From ealra, alra, gen. pl. of AS. eal. The d is excrescent.
Definitions
  1. Of all; -- used in composition; as, alderbest, best of all, alderwisest, wisest of all. Obs. Chaucer.

Webster 1913