Definition of sycamore

The origin of the word "sycamore" can be traced back to ancient Greek where the tree was called "fig milk" or "sykon moron" meaning "fig bearer milk tree." This name was given due to the tree's white sap resembling milk and its fig-like fruits. The ancient Greeks introduced the tree to the Roman Empire, where it became known as "ficus sycomorus" or "fig fig" in Latin. The tree grew in abundance along the Mediterranean coast and was used for its fruits and wooden logs. The term "sycamore" originated during the Middle English period when it was used to describe a different tree, the yew tree (Taxus baccata). However, around the 16th century, the term was revived to describe the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), a species of deciduous tree native to Europe and Western Asia, which was introduced to America during the colonization period. The name "sycamore" for this tree may have been attributed to the similarity of its large, round leaves to the sycamore fig's leaves, or to the similarity of the direction of its leaf veins to those of the sycamore fig's leaves. In summary, the word "sycamore" originated from ancient Greek and Roman terminology for the sycamore fig, and its current use to refer to the sycamore maple is a result of a reintroduction of the term during the Middle English period, possibly due to similarities in leaf structure.