red cedar

noun

1

: a common juniper (Juniperus virginiana) chiefly of the eastern U.S. that has dark green closely imbricated scalelike leaves

also : a related tree (J. silicicola) of the southeastern U.S.

2

: western red cedar sense 1

3

: the red or reddish-brown wood of a red cedar

Examples of red cedar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Touches vary from villa to villa, but all have interiors and floors made of Guyanese Greenheart, bedroom furniture made of Dominican red cedar, open decks, private pools, and 180-degree views over the mountain peaks of Dominica and the Caribbean Sea. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Feb. 2026

The Game and Fish Commission created the structures from hundreds of invasive red cedars cut from Lake Ouachita's shoreline. —Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026

White cedars have short needles in dense clusters, while eastern red cedars have flatter leaves. —Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026

The lushness of the property is felt immediately once guests turn off the main road onto a gravel path bordered by tall sugar maple trees, along with creeping juniper, Eastern red cedar and arborvitae, to name a few. —Jeanine Barone, Forbes.com, 15 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for red cedar

• cheerleader
• proofreader
• ringleader
• bleeder
• breeder
• feeder
• leader
• lieder
• meader
• pleader
• reader
• reeder

Kids Definition

red cedar

noun

1

: any of several U.S. evergreen trees that are conifers with scalelike leaves and fragrant red or reddish brown wood

2

: the wood of a red cedar