giant sequoia

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

— called also big tree, sequoia

— see cone illustration

Examples of giant sequoia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One of those good burns was in the vicinity of the grove’s star, the 3,000-year-old Stagg tree, the fifth-largest giant sequoia on record. — Bettina Boxall, Star Tribune, "Skeletons of sequoias: California's ancient trees met their match in September's Castle Fire," 5 Dec. 2020 One of those good burns was in the vicinity of the grove’s star, the 3,000-year-old Stagg tree, the fifth-largest giant sequoia on record. — Bettina Boxall, Star Tribune, "Skeletons of sequoias: California's ancient trees met their match in September's Castle Fire," 5 Dec. 2020 The charred corpse of a giant sequoia poked into the smoky haze. — Los Angeles Times, "Hundreds of towering giant sequoias killed by the Castle fire — a stunning loss," 16 Nov. 2020 One of those good burns was in the vicinity of the grove’s star, the 3,000-year-old Stagg tree, the fifth-largest giant sequoia on record. — Bettina Boxall, Star Tribune, "Skeletons of sequoias: California's ancient trees met their match in September's Castle Fire," 5 Dec. 2020 One of those good burns was in the vicinity of the grove’s star, the 3,000-year-old Stagg tree, the fifth-largest giant sequoia on record. — Bettina Boxall, Star Tribune, "Skeletons of sequoias: California's ancient trees met their match in September's Castle Fire," 5 Dec. 2020 One of those good burns was in the vicinity of the grove’s star, the 3,000-year-old Stagg tree, the fifth-largest giant sequoia on record. — Los Angeles Times, "Hundreds of towering giant sequoias killed by the Castle fire — a stunning loss," 16 Nov. 2020 The cones of certain pines, like the lodgepole and giant sequoia, open only when blasted with fire. — Christopher Ketcham, The New Republic, "Has the Forest Service Been Making Wildfires Worse?," 23 Oct. 2020 The Mariposa Grove, featuring giant sequoia trees, is closing at 7 p.m., the park service said. — Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, "California Wildfires: Live Updates Sept. 6-7," 8 Sep. 2020

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about giant sequoia

Dictionary Entries near giant sequoia

Statistics for giant sequoia

Last Updated

23 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Giant sequoia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/giant%20sequoia. Accessed 25 Jan. 2021.

Keep scrolling for more