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cedar

/ˈsidər/

/ˈsidə/

Other forms: cedars

A cedar is an evergreen tree with a particularly fragrant wood. The trees in your yard that keep their green needles through the winter might be cedars.

There are many different varieties of cedars, including a popular Christmas tree in the Southern US, the Eastern Red Cedar. Cedars are probably best known for the strong, appealing scent of their wood, which is often used to line storage chests or closets, both for the smell and its tendency to repel moths. The Greek root of cedar is kedros.

Definitions of cedar
  1. noun
    any cedar of the genus Cedrus
    synonyms: cedar tree, true cedar
    see moresee less
    types:
    Cedrus libani, cedar of Lebanon
    cedar of Lebanon and northwestern Syria that attains great age and height
    Cedrus deodara, Himalayan cedar, deodar, deodar cedar
    tall East Indian cedar having spreading branches with nodding tips; highly valued for its appearance as well as its timber
    Atlas cedar, Cedrus atlantica
    tall Algerian evergreen of Atlas mountains with blue-green leaves; widely planted as an ornamental
    type of:
    conifer, coniferous tree
    any gymnospermous tree or shrub bearing cones
  2. noun
    durable aromatic wood of any of numerous cedar trees; especially wood of the red cedar often used for cedar chests
    synonyms: cedarwood
    see moresee less
    types:
    red cedar
    fragrant reddish wood of any of various red cedar trees
    Port Orford cedar
    the wood of the Port Orford cedar tree
    pencil cedar
    wood of a pencil cedar tree; used for making pencils
    type of:
    wood
    the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
  3. noun
    any of numerous trees of the family Cupressaceae that resemble cedars
    synonyms: cedar tree
    see moresee less
    types:
    show 9 types...
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    Austrocedrus chilensis, Chilean cedar
    a small South American evergreen having coppery bark and pretty foliage
    Calocedrus decurrens, Libocedrus decurrens, incense cedar, red cedar
    tall tree of the Pacific coast of North America having foliage like cypress and cinnamon-red bark
    Atlantic white cedar, Chamaecyparis thyoides, coast white cedar, southern white cedar, white cedar, white cypress
    slow-growing medium-sized cedar of east coast of the United States; resembles American arborvitae
    Chamaecyparis lawsoniana, Lawson's cedar, Lawson's cypress, Oregon cedar, Port Orford cedar
    large timber tree of western North America with trunk diameter to 12 feet and height to 200 feet
    Alaska cedar, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, Nootka cypress, yellow cedar, yellow cypress
    tall evergreen of the Pacific coast of North America often cultivated for ornament
    Cryptomeria japonica, Japan cedar, Japanese cedar, sugi
    tall evergreen of Japan and China yielding valuable soft wood
    incense cedar
    any of several attractive trees of southwestern South America and New Zealand and New Caledonia having glossy evergreen leaves and scented wood
    Libocedrus plumosa, kawaka
    New Zealand timber tree resembling the cypress
    Libocedrus bidwillii, mountain pine, pahautea
    evergreen tree of New Zealand resembling the kawaka
    type of:
    conifer, coniferous tree
    any gymnospermous tree or shrub bearing cones
Pronunciation
US

/ˈsidər/

UK

/ˈsidə/

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