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.
3
: the red or reddish-brown wood of a red cedar
Examples of red cedar in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the end of a winding road from Morzine, the first view of Avoriaz is of the red cedar buildings of La Falaise, perched on the edge of a monumental cliff like some warped cruise ship.
—
Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Jan. 2022
The best woods include osage, Oregon yew, white ash, Southern red cedar, black walnut, black locust, apple, and mulberry.
—Keith McCafferty, Field & Stream, 29 June 2023
His and other milling operations were drawn to the area by its abundance of virgin eastern red cedars, the slow-growing premier pencil stock that the industry soon used up.
—Danny Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2023
The 36-foot tall pole had been carved from red cedar in the 1860s to honor Ts’wawit, a warrior from the Indigenous Nisga’a Nation, who was next in line to become chief before he was killed in conflict.
—Emma Bubola, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Many land owners now are battling fast-spreading eastern red cedar and juniper trees that are contributing to the grassland ecosystem collapse, said Dirac Twidwell, a rangeland ecologist at the University of Nebraska.
—Tammy Webber The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2023
Since the celebrations began in 2003, the county has planted over 33,000 native trees, including red maple, tulip poplar, white oak, black walnut, eastern red cedar and redbud, according to a news release.
—Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2023
In 2019, after finding a new local source of eastern red cedar, Musgrave started selling its Tennessee Red, a naturally fragrant, marbled throwback to the early U.S. pencil industry and the hallowed wood that put Shelbyville on the map.
—Danny Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2023
The Western saw-whet owl likes a twelve-year-old thicket of fir and ponderosa pine; deer find soft green bites in a four-year-old stand of red cedar and white pine.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
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Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Jan. 2022
The best woods include osage, Oregon yew, white ash, Southern red cedar, black walnut, black locust, apple, and mulberry.
—Keith McCafferty, Field & Stream, 29 June 2023
His and other milling operations were drawn to the area by its abundance of virgin eastern red cedars, the slow-growing premier pencil stock that the industry soon used up.
—Danny Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2023
The 36-foot tall pole had been carved from red cedar in the 1860s to honor Ts’wawit, a warrior from the Indigenous Nisga’a Nation, who was next in line to become chief before he was killed in conflict.
—Emma Bubola, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
Many land owners now are battling fast-spreading eastern red cedar and juniper trees that are contributing to the grassland ecosystem collapse, said Dirac Twidwell, a rangeland ecologist at the University of Nebraska.
—Tammy Webber The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2023
Since the celebrations began in 2003, the county has planted over 33,000 native trees, including red maple, tulip poplar, white oak, black walnut, eastern red cedar and redbud, according to a news release.
—Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2023
In 2019, after finding a new local source of eastern red cedar, Musgrave started selling its Tennessee Red, a naturally fragrant, marbled throwback to the early U.S. pencil industry and the hallowed wood that put Shelbyville on the map.
—Danny Freedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 June 2023
The Western saw-whet owl likes a twelve-year-old thicket of fir and ponderosa pine; deer find soft green bites in a four-year-old stand of red cedar and white pine.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'red cedar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near red cedar
Cite this Entry
“Red cedar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20cedar. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
red cedar
noun1
: 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
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