red cedar

noun

Updated on: 9 May 2018

Definition of red cedar

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 1

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

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Recent Examples of red cedar from the Web

The Loon Lake area is forested with Douglas fir, western hemlock and red cedar; there’s plenty of hiking, swimming, boating and fishing.

— alison darosa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "May travel deals include South Pacific flights," 3 May 2018
The effects that the exploding populations of red cedar is having on the state might be compared to the soil erosion that occurred during the ‘Dust Bowl’ era of the 1930s-40s.

— angela fritz, Washington Post, "Southwest fire threat called ‘extreme to historic’ amid brutally hot and dry conditions," 17 Apr. 2018
Tree varieties native to the county include red maple, tulip poplar, white oak, black walnut, eastern red cedar and redbud.

— staff report, The Aegis, "Harford County to observe Arbor Day on March 30 at Annie's Playground," 27 Mar. 2018
Eyeing an Eastern red cedar for the side yard? Perusing pawpaws for the back?

— frank kummer, Philly.com, "How to get a free tree for your Philly home," 12 Mar. 2018
Wood from tropical forests in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Japan also arrived, but the Hawai‘ian people chose Douglas fir and coastal red cedar from over 4,000 kilometers away to integrate into the customs and rituals of their culture.

— brian payton, Smithsonian, "How Driftwood Reshapes Ecosystems," 9 Feb. 2018
The exterior has red cedar siding, with cedar front steps and deck.

— lisa mclean, baltimoresun.com, "Custom-built Ellicott City house sits on more than 4 acres," 3 Nov. 2017
The rates of mortality among cabbage palms and red cedars was soaring; new vegetation, better suited to salt, was springing up in their place.

— matthew shaer, New Republic, "—one of the highest rates in the nation.," 5 Oct. 2017
The poles are made of red cedar and the carvings of eagles and ravens represent clans of the area.

— erin blakemore, Smithsonian, "The Powerful Story Behind Glacier Bay National Park’s New Totem Poles," 30 May 2017

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

First Known Use of red cedar

1682

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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