ˈklēthrə, -eth- noun
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek klēthra alder; akin to German (Tirolese dialect) lutter green alder ( Alnus viridis )
: a genus (coextensive with the family Clethraceae) of deciduous shrubs or trees with stellate pubescence and capsular fruits of three locules — see sweet pepperbush , white alder