western red cedar

American  

noun

1. an arborvitae, Thuja plicata, of western North America, grown as an ornamental.

2. the soft, fragrant, reddish wood of this tree, used in the construction of houses, in shipbuilding, for making boxes, etc.

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western red cedar British  

noun

1. a large North American arbor vitae, Thuja plicata, found along and near the Pacific coast

2. the wood of this tree, used by North American Indians for building and for carving totem poles

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Etymology

Origin of western red cedar

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

The remainder were sugar pine, noble fir, red fir, incense cedar, western red cedar, mountain hemlock and western hemlock.

From Science Daily • Dec. 28, 2023

From a cultural point of view, western red cedar became far more widespread and abundant than previously.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2023

Douglas fir, western hemlock and western red cedar saw the worst of it.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2023

He said species like the western red cedar, which is important to both First Nations and the forestry industry, are in decline as a result.

From Reuters • Oct. 13, 2022

The other 20 per cent. consists of western red cedar, yellow cypress, lodge-pole pine, cottonwood and white fir.

From The School Book of Forestry by Pack, Charles Lathrop