hinoki cypress

[ hi-noh-kee ]

noun

1. an evergreen tree, Chamaecyparis obtusa, of Japan, having scalelike leaves and orange-brown cones, grown for timber and as an ornamental.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hinoki cypress¹

1720–30; < Japanese hi-no-ki, equivalent to hi cypress (earlier f ( y ) i < *pi ) + no grammatical particle + ki ( y ) tree (earlier *koi )

Example Sentences

But until recently, mask making, in which blocks of hinoki cypress carved in high relief are hollowed out, then primed with a white mixture of crushed oyster shells and animal glue — with mineral pigment for lips and cheeks, and gold powder or copper to give the teeth and eyes of masks depicting supernatural beings an otherworldly glow — was a craft largely handed down from father to son.

From New York Times

Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana’ and Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’ are both commonly called dwarf hinoki cypress.

From Seattle Times

Only years into the process did he turn to wood, engaging the master carver Yuboku Mukoyoshi to translate the fiberglass pattern into hinoki cypress.

From New York Times

Manicured box hedging and variegated holly columns provide year-round heft to the landscape, along with a windmill palm, topiary forms, yew hedges and a golden hinoki cypress.

From Seattle Times

Another naturalistic monk, equally heart-stopping: a statue from Kamakura-era Japan, crafted from hinoki cypress and depicting a Zen master, eyes narrowed, lips pursed, the picture of enlightenment.

From New York Times