pine

¹

[ pahyn ]

noun

1. any evergreen, conifer of the genus Pinus, having long, needle-shaped leaves, certain species of which yield timber, turpentine, tar, pitch, etc. Compare pine family.
2. any of various similar coniferous trees.
3. the wood of the pine tree.
4. Informal. the pineapple.

pine

²

[ pahyn ]

verb (used without object)

, pined, pin·ing.

1. to yearn deeply; suffer with longing; long painfully (often followed by for ):

   to pine for one's home and family.

2. to fail gradually in health or vitality from grief, regret, or longing (often followed by away ):

   Separated by their families, the lovers pined away.

   Synonyms: waste, droop, languish, decline, dwindle

3. Archaic. to be discontented; fret.

verb (used with object)

, pined, pin·ing.

1. Archaic. to suffer grief or regret over.

noun

1. Archaic. painful longing.

pine

¹

/ paɪn /

noun

1. any evergreen resinous coniferous tree of the genus Pinus, of the N hemisphere, with long needle-shaped leaves and brown cones: family Pinaceae See also longleaf pine nut pine pitch pine Scots pine
2. any other tree or shrub of the family Pinaceae
3. the wood of any of these trees
4. any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as ground pine and screw pine

pine

²

/ paɪn /

verb

1. intr; often foll by for or an infinitive to feel great longing or desire; yearn
2. introften foll byaway to become ill, feeble, or thin through worry, longing, etc
3. archaic.
   tr to mourn or grieve for

Pine

³

/ paɪn /

noun

1. PineCourtney1964MBritishMUSIC: jazz saxophonist Courtney. born 1964, British jazz saxophonist and clarinettist

Other Words From

• pinelike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pine¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English pin(e), pigne, Old English pīntrēow “pine tree,” from Old French pin and Latin pīnus

Origin of pine²

First recorded before 900; Middle English pinen “to torture, torment, inflict pain, be in pain”; Old English pīnian “to torture,” derivative of pīn “torture” ( Middle English pine ), from Late Latin pēna, Latin poena “punishment”; pain

Word History and Origins

Origin of pine¹

Old English pīn, from Latin pīnus pine

Origin of pine²

Old English pīnian to torture, from pīn pain, from Medieval Latin pēna, from Latin poena pain

Synonym Study

See yearn.

Example Sentences

According to their research, the Aleppo pine's highly flammable leaves and cones have increased the risks of fire.

From Salon

The concoction was flavored with honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice and grapes, which were commonly used to make the beverage look like blood.

From Science Daily

Pollen from cypress pine trees, which have few natural protections against fire, fell dramatically, whereas pollen from more fire-tolerant eucalyptus, shrubs, and grasses became more common.

From Science Magazine

Advised by friends to "love again", she began seeing a wounded soldier called Norman, while still pining for Ron.

From BBC

“A lot of legacy-media people were pining for Trump’s return because they know it’s going to be a s— show every single day,” Martin said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ache
• crave
• grieve
• hanker
• mourn
• yearn