juniper

noun

ju·ni·per | \ ˈjü-nə-pər

Definition of juniper

1a : any of numerous shrubs or trees (genus Juniperus) of the cypress family with leaves resembling needles or scales and female cones usually resembling berries

b : the berrylike cone or fruit of a juniper especially : the bluish one of a common juniper (J. communis) which is used to flavor foods and from which is obtained an acrid essential oil used especially as a flavoring in gin and liqueurs

— called also juniper berry

2 : any of several coniferous trees resembling true junipers

Examples of juniper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gin is weird—the pine-tree quality of the juniper reads a little like spearmint, which is cool, but then the other botanicals tend to screw with the palate. — Jason O'bryan, Robb Report, 2 Dec. 2021 Their distillation process, which takes place in a 150-year-old textile mill just south of Portland, extracts more of juniper’s fruity and floral notes and adds grapefruit zest, hops, and coriander seed for a more focused flavor profile. — Elizabeth Brownfield, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2021 Autumnal notes of amber, pine needles, and sandalwood receive an energizing hit of citrusy juniper and bergamot. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2021 London dry gins can actually be made anywhere following specific production rules that, beyond stipulating the primacy of juniper and tightly restricting sugar content, do not really govern how the gin must taste. — Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2021 The best base, to my palate, is the Terroir Gin from St. George Spirits in Alameda, which in addition to the standard gin ingredient of juniper incorporates Douglas fir, coastal sage, wild fennel and bay laurel. — Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Sep. 2021 The first reports of mass juniper tree diebacks began in 2018 in Utah. — Anton L. Delgado, The Arizona Republic, 14 July 2021 It was infused with the traditional botanicals of juniper and coriander, but with an Asian twist that included cassia twig and cinnamon. — Kathy Stephenson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Apr. 2021 Housed in an oversized ceramic ramekin in an earthy blue hue, the candle delivers a crisp scent of juniper and cedar that will immediately freshen up any room. — Courtney Thompson, CNN Underscored, 25 Mar. 2021

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

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Dictionary Entries Near juniper

junior yearling

juniper

juniper bay

Statistics for juniper

Last Updated

15 Jan 2022

Cite this Entry

“Juniper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/juniper. Accessed 17 Jan. 2022.

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More Definitions for juniper

juniper

noun

English Language Learners Definition of juniper

: an evergreen shrub or tree that has tiny fruits that look like berries

See the full definition for juniper in the English Language Learners Dictionary

juniper

noun

ju·ni·per | \ ˈjü-nə-pər

Kids Definition of juniper

: an evergreen tree or shrub related to the pines but having tiny cones resembling berries

juniper

noun

ju·ni·per | \ ˈjü-nə-pər

Medical Definition of juniper

: an evergreen shrub or tree (genus Juniperus) of the cypress family (Cupressaceae) especially : one having a prostrate or shrubby habit (as Juniperus communis)