Acer glabrum is a small tree growing to  tall, exceptionally , with a trunk around  in diameter, exceptionally around . The leaves are  broad, three-lobed (rarely five-lobed), variable in the depth of lobing, occasionally so deeply lobed as to be divided into three leaflets; the lobes have an acute apex and a coarsely serrated margin.
Acer glabrum is a small tree that grows to  tall, with a trunk diameter of around . The leaves are broad, three-lobed (rarely five-lobed), variable in their depth of lobing, sometimes so deeply lobed as to be divided into three leaflets; the lobes have an acute apex and a coarsely serrated edge.