pine

1 of 2

noun

often attributive
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
5
piney adjective
or less commonly piny

pine

2 of 2

verb

pined; pining

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
Choose the Right Synonym for pine

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

Verb pining for a house in the mountains
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Paltrow spent much of the hour after her arrival rooted under the single branch of a pine tree, one of the few spots of shade in sight, and when the Jacquemus team confiscated parasols and water glasses—believed to look ugly on camera—guests began to feel like movie extras on a desert shoot. Nathan Heller, Vogue, 17 Oct. 2024 All sorts of pines, shrubs and so much more in a region usually thought of as arid. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
In Colorado Springs, visit Cheyenne Mountain State Park where prairie grasses give way to Gambel oaks and finally to pine trees at the upper reaches. John Frank, Axios, 29 Sep. 2024 That’s to say, the track – poetic, intimate, pining – transports you back to life’s early romances: carefree and all-consuming, pregnant with the unspoken absence of forever. Amanda Peukert, SPIN, 8 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pine 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pine.' 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

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 entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near pine

Cite this Entry

“Pine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pine. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pine

1 of 2 verb
pined; pining
1
: to lose energy, health, or weight through grief, worry, or distress
pine away
2
: to long for very much

pine

2 of 2 noun
1
: any of a genus of evergreen trees that have narrow needles for leaves, cones, and wood ranging from very soft to hard and that include valuable timber trees as well as many ornamentals
2
: the white or yellow wood of a pine
piney adjective
also piny
ˈpī-nē

Medical Definition

pine

1 of 2 noun
: any tree of the genus Pinus

pine

2 of 2 noun
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on pine

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