cedar

American  

[see-der] / ˈsi dər /

noun

1. any of several Old World, coniferous trees of the genus Cedrus, having wide, spreading branches.

2. any of various junipers, as the red cedar, Juniperus virginiana, of the cypress family, having reddish-brown bark and dark-blue, berrylike fruit.

3. any of various other coniferous trees.

4. any of several trees belonging to the genus Cedrela, of the mahogany family, as the Spanish cedar.

5. Also called cedarwood.  the fragrant wood of any of these trees, used in furniture and as a moth repellent.

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cedar British  

/ ˈsiːdə /

noun

1. any Old World coniferous tree of the genus Cedrus, having spreading branches, needle-like evergreen leaves, and erect barrel-shaped cones: family Pinaceae See also cedar of Lebanon deodar

2. any of various other conifers, such as the red cedars and white cedars

3. the wood of any of these trees

4. any of certain other plants, such as the Spanish cedar

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adjective

1. made of the wood of a cedar tree

Etymology

Origin of cedar

before 1000; Middle English cedir, Old English ceder < Latin cedrus < Greek kédros; replacing Middle English cedre < Old French < Latin, as above

Example Sentences

You walk toward the shimmering air, an arch of cedar boughs intertwined above it.

From Literature

But the cedar waxwings didn’t just descend on the tree willy-nilly.

From Literature

It was small, glittering like a Fourth of July sparkler on the bough of a sagging cedar tree.

From Literature

Once, they brought in a shaman to cleanse the house with sage and cedar during a full blood moon.

From Los Angeles Times

He said he was trying to block Edison’s crew from burying a large transformer between two towering deodar cedar trees.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• evergreen