: any of a genus (Alnus) of toothed-leaved trees or shrubs of the birch family that have catkins which become woody, that typically grow in cool moist ground, and that have wood used especially in turnery
also
: its wood
Examples of alder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
McBride was an alder on the Common Council for 10 years and worked as an attorney for more than 30 years in government and private practice.
—
Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2024
Wooden artifacts included boxes and bowls carved from willow, alder and maple, 40 bobbins, many with threads still attached, various tools, and 15 wooden buckets.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
Allergenic trees include alder, birch, cedar, horse chestnut, oak poplar and willow.
—Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 29 Feb. 2024
Instead, some voters will head to the polls in about a month to narrow down candidates for local, nonpartisan positions, such as school board members, county supervisors and city alders.
—Journal Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2024
What do alders think about the project as currently proposed?
Wauwatosa alders agreed to take the next step to hire a construction manager and get more concrete designs and cost estimates for the project.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2024
Wild-Growing Plant Dyes Pine, alder, or redwood cones: Pinkish tan to warm brown.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
Varieties of native oak, maple, aspen, and alder put on a spectacle this time of year, particularly in our parklands.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023
The fire is consuming dry grass, alder and willow bushes on the largely treeless tundra as gusts of up to 30 mph are pushing the fire in the general direction of St. Mary’s and Pitkas Point, Yup’ik subsistence communities with a combined population of about 700 people and about 10 miles apart.
—Mark Thiessen, Anchorage Daily News, 11 June 2022
Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2024
Wooden artifacts included boxes and bowls carved from willow, alder and maple, 40 bobbins, many with threads still attached, various tools, and 15 wooden buckets.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
Allergenic trees include alder, birch, cedar, horse chestnut, oak poplar and willow.
—Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 29 Feb. 2024
Instead, some voters will head to the polls in about a month to narrow down candidates for local, nonpartisan positions, such as school board members, county supervisors and city alders.
—Journal Sentinel, 25 Jan. 2024
What do alders think about the project as currently proposed?
Wauwatosa alders agreed to take the next step to hire a construction manager and get more concrete designs and cost estimates for the project.
—Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2024
Wild-Growing Plant Dyes Pine, alder, or redwood cones: Pinkish tan to warm brown.
—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 4 Jan. 2024
Varieties of native oak, maple, aspen, and alder put on a spectacle this time of year, particularly in our parklands.
—Krista Simmons, Sunset Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023
The fire is consuming dry grass, alder and willow bushes on the largely treeless tundra as gusts of up to 30 mph are pushing the fire in the general direction of St. Mary’s and Pitkas Point, Yup’ik subsistence communities with a combined population of about 700 people and about 10 miles apart.
—Mark Thiessen, Anchorage Daily News, 11 June 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near alder
Cite this Entry
“Alder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alder. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
alder
noun
al·der
ˈȯl-dər 
: any of a genus of toothed-leaved trees or shrubs related to the birches
Biographical Definition
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