aspen

IPA/ˈæspən/
KK[ˈæspən]IPA/ˈæspən/

aspen — noun

  • aspensingular
  • aspensplural

1. a poplar tree whose thin, flat leaf stems make the leaves move and tremble in a

1.nounC1
Definition

a poplar tree whose thin, flat leaf stems make the leaves move and tremble in a light breeze.

Example

Sirin rested in the shade of a tall aspen beside the lake.

countable: 'an aspen' for one tree

Aspens lined the school road and rattled softly in the wind.

plural 'aspens' for several trees

Common collocations
  • aspen grove
  • aspen leaves
  • aspen bark
  • golden aspens
  • quaking aspen
Synonyms
  • poplar

    a broader tree group that includes aspens as one kind

  • quaking aspen

    a more exact name, especially for the common North American species

  • trembling aspen

    a descriptive name that emphasizes the leaves' constant movement

Grammar Patterns

an aspen

a grove of aspens

Usage Note

Often used for the tree itself. Writers commonly add words such as 'grove', 'leaves', or 'quaking' when they want to focus on a group of trees, the foliage, or the best-known North American species.

Common Mistakes

The trail passed many aspen.
The trail passed many aspens.
use the plural 'aspens' when you mean several trees.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

When people say aspen, they usually mean the poplar tree known for leaves that keep trembling in even a light wind. Poplar is the wider family name, so it can include aspens, cottonwoods, and other related trees. Quaking aspen is a more exact term, especially in North American nature writing, when the species matters. Birch can look similar from a distance because both trees may have pale bark, but birch belongs to a different family and does not suggest the same fluttering leaves. In ordinary use, choose aspen when that moving-leaf image is the main point.

poplarquaking aspenbirch ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • aspen grove
  • aspen leaf
  • aspen bark
  • aspen forest

Phrases

  • a stand of aspens
  • golden aspens in autumn
  • quaking aspen

Prepositions

  • under an aspen
  • through an aspen grove

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

From Old English 'æspe', an early English name for this tree, with related forms elsewhere in the Germanic languages. The word passed through Middle English before settling into the modern spelling 'aspen'.

First known use

1593

1593, in the meaning defined above