Douglas fir

noun

Doug·​las fir ˈdə-gləs- How to pronounce Douglas fir (audio)
: any of a genus (Pseudotsuga) of tall evergreen timber trees of the pine family having thick bark, pitchy wood, and pendulous cones
especially : one (P. menziesii synonym P. taxifolia) chiefly of the western U.S. see cone illustration

Examples of Douglas fir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Inside, two bedrooms and one bath can be found in just under 1,000 square feet of single-level living space accented with Douglas fir floors, knotty pine paneling and vaulted wood-beam ceilings. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2024 And that smooth, vertical-grain Douglas fir on the ceiling is another one of the room’s striking features. Dusty Parnell, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 The Dixie fire, which burned nearly 1 million acres and destroyed more than 1,300 homes, ignited July 13, 2021, after a Douglas fir tree fell and struck energized conductors owned and operated by PG&E. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2024 The water was full of surfers in wet suits; colossal Sitka spruce, Douglas fir, and cedar trees lined the shore. Jen Murphy, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024 Walnut Canyon is packed top to bottom with life zones and microhabitats highlighting cactus and agave growing just footsteps from Douglas fir and ponderosa pine. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 4 Jan. 2024 The risk of failure Case’s project involves testing whether breeds of native Douglas fir and western hemlock from drier parts of the Pacific Northwest can be used to help western Washington forests adapt to climate change. Nathan Gilles, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023 Banks revealed that the most popular trees are the Douglas fir and the blue spruce. Eric Noll, ABC News, 7 Dec. 2023 The most common Christmas tree varies by region: Douglas fir is also common throughout the Mountain West. Curtis Vanderschaaf, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Douglas fir.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

David Douglas †1834 Scottish botanist

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Douglas fir was in 1835

Dictionary Entries Near Douglas fir

Cite this Entry

“Douglas fir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Douglas%20fir. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Douglas fir

noun
Doug·​las fir ˌdəg-ləs- How to pronounce Douglas fir (audio)
: a tall evergreen cone-bearing timber tree of the western U.S.

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