giant sequoia

noun

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Definition of giant sequoia

: an evergreen tree (Sequoiadendron giganteum) of the bald cypress family that grows on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and sometimes exceeds 270 feet (about 82 meters) in height — see cone illustration — called also big tree, sequoia

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Recent Examples of giant sequoia from the Web

That’s because giant sequoias are among the oldest living things on Earth.

— peter fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Mariposa Grove, Yosemite’s haven for giant sequoias, restored and ready for visitors," 13 June 2018
Lee Cowan reports our Cover Story: Deep in one of California's few remaining old-growth forests sat an oddity, popular with tourists since the 1880s: a giant sequoia so giant a tunnel was carved in its trunk.

— CBS News, "Mapping the genome of redwoods," 1 July 2018
Correspondent Lee Cowan visits California's Big Basin Redwoods State Park to report on a movement to map the genome of the coast redwood tree and its relative, the giant sequoia, in order to restore old-growth forests.

— CBS News, "This week on "Sunday Morning" (July 1)," 26 June 2018
First protected by the National Park Service in 1864, the Grove has drawn over a million visitors annually seeking serenity in the surrounds of 500 mature giant sequoia trees, some as tall as 200 feet and as old as 1,800 years.

— marie salcido, Sunset, "Yosemite’s Giant Sequoias Are Back in Business," 22 Jan. 2018
The biggest tree on the register is a giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park in California.

— ted gregory, chicagotribune.com, "Just in time for Arbor Day, new preserve lays claim to Illinois' biggest tree," 27 Apr. 2018
By the end of the year, scientists hope to have mapped the complete genome of the coast redwood and of the giant sequoia, a close cousin that also is among the tallest trees in the world, some reaching hundreds of feet high.

— scott wilson, Washington Post, "As threats to California’s giant redwoods grow, the key to their salvation might be in their complex genetic code.," 7 Feb. 2018
Correct answer: Something big, perhaps a giant sequoia.

— josh peter, USA TODAY, "Five crazy questions asked at past Super Bowl media day," 29 Jan. 2018
Wildfires also burned in a 2,700-year-old grove of giant sequoia trees near Yosemite National Park, forced evacuations in Glacier National Park and drove people from homes in parts of the West struggling with blazing temperatures.

— CBS News, "Wildfires surge amid scorching heat across Western states," 3 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'giant sequoia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of giant sequoia

1860

in the meaning defined above

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GIANT SEQUOIA Defined for English Language Learners

giant sequoia

noun

Definition of giant sequoia for English Language Learners

: a very tall evergreen tree that grows in the western U.S.

GIANT SEQUOIA Defined for Kids

giant sequoia

noun

Definition of giant sequoia for Students

: an evergreen tree of California that has needles for leaves and can sometimes grow to over 270 feet (about 82 meters) in height

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See words that rhyme with giant sequoia Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about giant sequoia

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