alder

noun

al·​der ˈȯl-dər 

: 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

The mountains on either side of the water give way to towering canyon walls, spruce and pine thin out, and only stout dwarf willow and spindly alder remain. —Chloe Berge, AFAR Media, 15 Oct. 2025

Duane angled through a second band of alders and came out right where the blacktail lay on the lower grassy edge of the hill’s bald knob. —Marguerite Reiss, Outdoor Life, 9 Oct. 2025

There are several varieties that feed on apple, pear, elm, alder, beech, hawthorn, and silver maple trees. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2025

Other trees are giant sequoias, redwoods, alders, Japanese black pines and Arran whitebeans, endemic to the Isle of Arran, says Leddy. —Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English alor; akin to Old High German elira alder, Latin alnus

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing alder

• black alder

Rhymes for alder

• balder

Kids Definition

alder

noun

al·​der ˈȯl-dər 

: any of a genus of toothed-leaved trees or shrubs related to the birches

Biographical Definition

Alder

biographical name

Al·​der ˈäl-dər 

Kurt 1902–1958 German chemist