Forms: 4–7 sicamour, (4 sika-, sicomour, sicomore, syca-, sykamoure, 5 sycomour, -owre, secomoure, sichomure, cicomour, cycomyr, sygamour(e), 6–7 siccamore, sycamour, (6 segamore, 7 sicamor(e, cycamore), 4– sycomore, 7– sycamore. [a. OF. sic(h)amor, -more, later sicomore, mod.F. sycomore, = lt., Sp., Pg. sicomoro, ad. late L. si-, sycomorus, ad. Gr. σῡκόμορος, f. σῦκον fig + μόρον mulberry. The spelling sycamore is the more usual, but sycomore is retained in mod. edd. of the Bible, and is used by some writers in sense 1 for the sake of distinction.]
1. A species of fig-tree, Ficus Sycomorus, common in Egypt, Syria, and other countries, and having leaves somewhat resembling those of the mulberry.
13[?]. Propr. Sanct. (Verron MS.), in Herrig’s Archiv, LXXXI. 319/14. In to a treo he wente þerfore, A Sikamour, to seon him þore.
1388. Wyclif, Isaiah, ix. 10. Thei han kit doun sicomoris.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 4973. Oleues out of lebany … With sichomures & sipresses.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxv. 427. A nobill tree þou secomoure.
1530. Palsgr., 269/2. Sicomer, frute. Sicomour, tree.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XIII. vii. I. 389. The Sycomore … is called the Ægyptian Figtree. The tree for leafe, bignesse, and barke, is like unto the Mulberie tree.
1633. G. Herbert, Temple, World, iii. That Sycomore, Whose leaves first sheltred man from drought and dew.
1720. Pope, Iliad, XXI. 44. As from a sycamore, his sounding steel Lopp’d the green arms to spoke a chariot-wheel.
1867. Baker, Nile Tribut., i. (1872), 3. We climbed the steep sandy bank and sat down beneath a solitary sycamore.
1910. Mrs. H. M. Tirard, Bk. of Dead, iii. 73. In Egypt sycomores often grow on the edge of the desert.
2. A large species of maple, Acer Pseudoplatanus, introduced into Britain from the Continent, and grown as a shady ornamental tree and for its wood.
Also with distinguishing adj., bastard, false, vulgar sycamore.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 89. Vnder the coole shade of a Siccamore, I thought to close mine eyes some halfe an houre.
1653. Walton, Angler, iv. 121. We … sate as quietly … under this Sycamore, as Virgils Tityrus and his Melibœus did under their broad beech tree.
1657. S. Purchas, Pol. Flying-Ins., I. xv. 94. Sycomore, or great Maple.
1728. Bradley, Dict. Bot., Sycamore vulgar, i.e. Acer majus.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 329. Sycamore, False, Acer.
1765. Gray, Lett., to Wharton (1912), III. 84. The enclosures, that surround the house, are border’d with 3 or 4 ranks of sycomores, ashes, & white poplars of the noblest height.
1777. Lightfoot, Flora Scot. (1789), 639. The Great Maple, or Bastard Sycomore.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., lxxxix. Thou, with all thy breadth and height Of foliage, towering sycamore.
1889. A. C. Benson, Altar Fire (1907), 89. There were many ancient elms and sycamores forming a small park.
3. a. In N. America, a plane or tree of the genus Platanus, esp. the buttonwood, P. occidentalis.
1814. Pursh, Flora Amer. Septentrionalis, II. 635. Platanus occidentalis.… On the banks of rivers: Canada to Florida, and in Louisiana…. This tree is known by the name of Button-wood, Water Beech, Sycamore and Plane Tree; in Canada Cotton Tree.
1872. Schele de Vere, Americanisms, 413. Buttonwood … The tree is known also as Sycamore and Plane-Tree.
b. In Australia and elsewhere applied (with or without epithet) to various trees: see quots.
1866. Treas. Bot., s.v. Melia, M[elia] Azedarach, vulgarly known as the Pride of India, False Sycamore, Holy-tree. Ibid., Sycamore … New South Wales. Brachychiton luridum.
1889. Maiden, Usef. Pl. Australia, 368. Achras laurifolia … Called ‘Sycamore’ in Southern New South Wales. Ibid., 410. Cryptocarya obovata … ‘Sycamore,’ ‘White Sycamore,’ ‘Bastard Sycamore.’
1898. Morris, Austral Eng., s.v. Laurel, Native L[aurel] … Panax elegans … also called Light or White Sycamore.
4. The wood or timber of the sycamore (usually in sense 2).
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 188. Ther saugh I Colle tregetour Vpon a table of Sygamour Pley an vncouthe thynge to telle.
a. 1500. Eger & Grine, 971, in Furniv. & Hales, Percy Folio, I. 384. His sadle with sekamoure [printed selc-] was sett.
1506. Paston Lett., III. 408. A payre of beddes of segamore.
1842. Gwilt, Archit., § 1724. Old houses … floored with sycamore and wainscotted with poplar.
5. Short for sycamore-moth (see 6).
1843. Westwood, Brit. Moths, I. 193. Apatela aceris (the sycamore).
1869. E. Newman, Brit. Moths, 231/2. The Sycamore (Acronycta Aceris)…. This caterpillar feeds on the sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus).
6. attrib. and Comb., as sycamore fruit, key (KEY sb.1 14), leaf; sycamore-fig, the fig-tree Ficus Sycomorus, or its fruit; † sycamore-locust (see quot.); sycamore maple = sense 2; sycamore(-tussock)-moth, a noctuid moth, Acronycta (Apatela) aceris, the larva of which feeds on the sycamore (sense 2).
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 121. Variety of excellent fruites; as orenges, lemons, pomegranats,… *Sicamor figs.
1861. Bentley, Man. Bot., 639. The Sycamore Fig is said to have yielded the wood from which mummy-cases were made.
1899. Marg. Benson & Gourlay, Temple of Mut, i. 3. There are groves of palm mingled with the thicker foliage of the sycamore-fig and tamarisk.
1611. Bible, Amos vii. 14. I was an heardman, and a gatherer of *Sycomore fruit.
1657. Austen, Fruit Trees, I. 138. Setting … Ash-keyes, *Cycamore-keyes.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 32. The *Sycomore-Locust … is a pretty little yellow Insect, which is bred, and feeds on the Sycomore-leaves, which at first hath no wings, but six leggs and two horns.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 154. The Leaves are a little less than the Sicamore Leaves.
1887. W. Phillips, Brit. Discomycetes, 198. Wherever decaying sycamore-leaves are found.
1796. Withering, Brit. Plants (ed. 3), II. 369. Sycamore Tree. *Sycamore Maple.
1833. Penny Cycl., I. 76/2. Acer striatum, the striped-bark maple … frequently grows to thrice its native size, in consequence of being grafted upon the sycamore maple.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Suppl., *Sycamore-moth,… a peculiarly large and beautiful moth,… so called, from its caterpillar feeding on the leaves of the sycamore.
1861. Morris, Brit. Moths, II. 73. Acronycta Aceris. Sycamore Moth…. It feeds on the sycamore and the horse-chesnut.
1749. B. Wilkes, Eng. Moths & Butterflies, 32. The *Sycamore Tussock-Moth. You may find the Caterpillars on Sycamore Trees.
1832. J. Rennie, Butterfl. & M., 78. The Sycamore Tussock (Apatela Aceris, Stephens) appears the end of June.
1854. Ronalds & Richardson, Chem. Technol. (ed. 2), I. 195. *Sycamore wood.
