DCHP-1 Online

bird's-eye maple

• 1 a maple tree, Acer saccharum, found in Canada from Lake Superior eastward and commercially valuable for its hard wood and for its sap, which is used in making maple sugar and syrup; also, its wood.

  See also: sugar maple  

  • 1807  (1809)  The curled maple and bird's-eye maple make beautiful furniture.
  • 1883  He has also on these limites an immense quantity of . . . bird's eye and curly maple.

• 2 the wood of this tree, much in demand for furniture making because of the attractive patterns formed in the grain by knots.

  • 1792  (1911)  Capt. Shaw has given me a tea-chest in bird's-eye maple.
  • 1964  In appreciation they presented the donor with a beautiful pair of Island-made bird's eye maple candlesticks.