conifer

noun

co·​ni·​fer ˈkä-nə-fər 

 also  ˈkō-

: any of an order (Coniferales) of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs having usually needle-shaped or scalelike leaves and including forms (such as pines) with true cones and others (such as yews) with an arillate fruit

coniferous

kō-ˈni-f(ə-)rəs 

kə-

adjective

Did you know?

Any of an order of trees and shrubs, conifers usually have usually needle-shaped or scale-like leaves. Conifers include forms (such as pines) with true cones and others (such as yews) that bear a fruit. There are more than 550 species of conifers, and most are evergreen trees and shrubs. They grow throughout the world (except in Antarctica) and prefer temperate climate zones. They include the world's smallest and tallest trees. Conifers supply softwood timber used for general construction, boxes and crates, and other articles, as well as pulpwood for paper. The wood is also used as fuel and in the manufacture of cellulose products, plywood, and veneers. The trees are the source of resins, oils, turpentine, tars, and pharmaceuticals.

Examples of conifer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thoughtful placement and layering with other plant types, such as ornamental grasses or conifers, can enhance privacy and maintain visual appeal throughout the year. —Debbie Wolfe, Popular Science, 8 May 2025

Spruce trees, which are evergreen conifers related to but not the same as flora like the Douglas fir or pines, are long-living, hardy plants that are well known to exist in some pretty harsh environments. —New Atlas, 29 Apr. 2025

These fast-growing evergreen conifer trees are native to the Himalayas and Afghanistan but can be seen in abundance on Altadena's beloved Christmas Tree Lane and throughout the neighborhood. —Leah Sarnoff, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025

The trail contours around slopes thick with aspen and wildflowers, passes through forests rife with conifers and chanterelles, plunges across creeks and rivers, skirts crystalline lakes, and ascends a handful of high mountain passes. —Shawnté Salabert, Outside Online, 28 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Latin conifer cone-bearing, from conus cone + -fer

First Known Use

circa 1841, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for conifer

• ionophore

Kids Definition

conifer

noun

con·​i·​fer

ˈkän-ə-fər,

 also  ˈkō-nə-

: any of an order of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs having leaves resembling needles or scales in shape and including forms (as pines) with true cones