sycamore

noun

syc·​a·​more ˈsi-kə-ˌmȯr 

1

or less commonly sycomore

ˈsi-kə-ˌmȯr 

: a fig tree (Ficus sycomorus) of Africa and the Middle East that is the sycamore of Scripture and has edible fruit similar but inferior to the common fig

2

: a Eurasian maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) with long racemes of showy yellowish-green flowers that is widely planted as a shade tree

3

: plane entry 4

especially : a very large spreading tree (Platanus occidentalis) chiefly of the eastern and central U.S. with 3- to 5-lobed broadly ovate leaves

Examples of sycamore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rent a kayak or tube in Marlinton or Cass and spend the day drifting under sycamore branches and listening to the water lap against the hull. —West Virginia Tourism, AFAR Media, 9 May 2025

What's next: Richmond's pollen count is medium-high this week with juniper, birch and sycamore being our predominant pollen, per Pollen.com. —Sabrina Moreno, Axios, 25 Mar. 2025

And in a reminder of the resilience of the natural world, my colleague Jaclyn Cosgrove writes that Eaton Canyon’s native oak and sycamore trees largely survived the blaze. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2025

Picturesque grounds initially created by pioneering landscape artist Theodore Payne, who is credited with helping to establish the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, host a monarch butterfly habitat among mature oak and sycamore trees. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sikamour, sicomore, borrowed from Anglo-French sicamour, borrowed from Latin sȳcomorus, borrowed from Greek sȳkómoros "sycamore fig" (sȳkómoron "fruit of the sycamore fig"), probably alteration by folk etymology of sȳkámīnos sycamine, with the ending conformed to móron "black mulberry, blackberry" — more at mulberry

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sycamore

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore

Kids Definition

sycamore

noun

syc·​a·​more ˈsik-ə-ˌmō(ə)r 

-ˌmȯ(ə)r

1

: a Eurasian maple with yellowish green flowers that is widely planted as a shade tree

2

: a large spreading tree of the eastern and central U.S. that has light-brown bark peeling off in thin flakes and small round brown fruits hanging on long stalks