pine

noun, often attributive

\ ˈpīn

Definition of pine

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : any of a genus (Pinus of the family Pinaceae, the pine family) of coniferous evergreen trees that have slender elongated needles and include some valuable timber trees and ornamentals

2 : the straight-grained white or yellow usually durable and resinous wood of a pine varying from extreme softness in the white pine to hardness in the longleaf pine

3 : any of various Australian coniferous trees (as of the genera Callitris or Araucaria)

4 : pineapple

5 : bench sense 1c

pine

verb

pined; pining

Definition of pine (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to lose vigor, health, or flesh (as through grief) : languish

2 : to yearn intensely and persistently especially for something unattainable they still pined for their lost wealth

Other Words from pine Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about pine

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for pine

Verb

long, yearn, hanker, pine, hunger, thirst mean to have a strong desire for something. long implies a wishing with one's whole heart and often a striving to attain. longed for some rest yearn suggests an eager, restless, or painful longing. yearned for a stage career hanker suggests the uneasy promptings of unsatisfied appetite or desire. always hankering for money pine implies a languishing or a fruitless longing for what is impossible. pined for a lost love hunger and thirst imply an insistent or impatient craving or a compelling need. hungered for a business of his own thirsted for power

Examples of pine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Plant pine trees, turn off exterior lights and use organic fertilizer, according to firefly.org. — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, "Fireflies Are Bringing A Rare Light Show To The Mountains This Month," 10 May 2019 Here is one that is just a pine cone that evolves into some kind of spiky ball. — Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, "“Aren’t you a little too old for that?” Two decades of playing Pokémon," 2 Sep. 2018 Ten minutes later, Foonski let out a roar, and then whistled a pine cone over my head in response. — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "At summer campsite, cute squirrels can go rogue," 9 July 2018 And research has shown that 1-millimeter accuracy might be eventually possible—which means that the system could locate an individual seed inside that pine cone. — Garrett M. Graff, WIRED, "The New Arms Race Threatening to Explode in Space," 26 June 2018 Wildlife expert Marne Titchenell suspects a red squirrel is the likely culprit that recently stored about 50 pounds of pine cones under the hood of a young Michigan man’s car, according to the local TV station WVLT 8. — Brian Gordon Green, National Geographic, "Why a Squirrel Stashed 50 Pounds of Pine Cones in a Car," 9 June 2018 Some plants actually use fire for their own reproductive strategy, like pine cones, which will only open when a fire has gone past. — Anna Diamond, Smithsonian, "What Is the Future of Fire?," 25 May 2018 Using the teal bas-relief pine-cone tiles of the existing fireplace surround as their starting point, the designers developed a color scheme of cool blues and warm pinks to create a whimsical room that is mature enough to grow with its occupant. — Marni Elyse Katz, BostonGlobe.com, "A bedroom designed to grow with its 7-year-old resident," 11 May 2018 Among the finds were numerous fossilized palm trees and pine cones, hundreds of invertebrates including snails and crabs, shark teeth and whale skulls. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "New species among rare treasure trove of fossils found in California," 20 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Location: Kauai, Hawaii Price: $6,950,000 As the last days of fall start to dwindle into winter, people who pine for sunny skies may dream of moving to a place where summer never ends. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Modern Hawaii home takes indoor-outdoor living to airy heights for $6.9M," 1 Nov. 2018 Pacers fans have had no reason to pine for Paul George this season, not with both Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis smashing expectations during a surprising thrill ride. — Ben Golliver, SI.com, "2018 NBA Playoffs: The Biggest Questions For Each Series," 12 Apr. 2018 There’s some humor, and some cool monsters, and a seductive droid named L3 (voiced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge) whom Lando seems to pine for. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Solo: A Star Wars Story is the safest, most forgettable Star Wars movie," 24 May 2018 Ndegeocello, 49, may pine for her teen years, but any nostalgia is filtered on her new album through the prism of age and wisdom. — George Varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Meshell Ndegeocello San Diego-bound to promote 'Ventriloquism,' a covers album with many twists," 6 May 2018 In a cruel twist of fate, their characters continued to pine for each other on the show for another two years. — Hannah Orenstein, Seventeen, "22 Celebrities Who Dated Their Co-Stars IRL," 6 Feb. 2018 In a cruel twist of fate, their characters continued to pine for each other on the show for another two years. — Hannah Orenstein, Seventeen, "22 Celebrities Who Dated Their Co-Stars IRL," 6 Feb. 2018 Some in the Bay Area who pine for the fruit orchards of the Valley of Heart’s Delight might want to keep Silicon Valley as a replacement label. — Owen Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, "Silicon Valley faces an uncertain future — starting with its definition," 12 Mar. 2018 In a cruel twist of fate, their characters continued to pine for each other on the show for another two years. — Hannah Orenstein, Seventeen, "22 Celebrities Who Dated Their Co-Stars IRL," 6 Feb. 2018

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

History and Etymology for pine

Noun

Middle English, from Old English pīn, from Latin pinus; probably akin to Greek pitys pine

Verb

Middle English, from Old English pīnian to suffer, from *pīn punishment, from Latin poena — more at pain

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about pine

Dictionary Entries near pine

Statistics for pine

Last Updated

18 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for pine

The first known use of pine was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for pine

pine

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pine

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a tree that has long, thin needles instead of leaves and that stays green throughout the year

: the wood of a pine tree that is often used to make furniture

pine

verb

English Language Learners Definition of pine (Entry 2 of 2)

: to become thin and weak because of sadness or loss

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

pine

noun

\ ˈpīn

Kids Definition of pine

(Entry 1 of 2)

: an evergreen tree that has cones, narrow needles for leaves, and a wood that ranges from very soft to hard

pine

verb

pined; pining

Kids Definition of pine (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to become thin and weak because of sadness or worry

2 : to long for very much She pined for home.

pine

noun

\ ˈpīn

Medical Definition of pine

(Entry 1 of 2)

: any tree of the genus Pinus

pine

noun

Medical Definition of pine (Entry 2 of 2)

: a dietary deficiency disease of sheep or cattle marked by anemia, malnutrition, and general debility specifically : such a disease due to cobalt deficiency — compare morton mains disease