water elm

noun

Definition of water elm

: any of several trees of the family Ulmaceae that prefer or thrive in a moist environment: such as

a : american elm

b : winged elm

c : cedar elm

d : planer tree

e : a common Eurasian elm (Ulmus laevis) that closely resembles American elm

f : a tall spreading Japanese tree (Zelkova serrata) sometimes cultivated as an ornamental