western red cedar

noun

Definition of western red cedar

1 : a large arborvitae (Thuja plicata) chiefly of the Pacific Northwest with reddish-brown bark and wood — called also red cedar

2 : the wood of the western red cedar

Recent Examples of western red cedar from the Web

More gift guides: Arboria’s western red cedar Astoria Arbor is a striking addition to any yard, whether standing alone or with vines twining up its 7-foot sides.

— jeanette marantos, latimes.com, "Gifts for gardening aficionados this holiday season," 3 Nov. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'western 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 western red cedar

1874

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Learn More about western red cedar

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about western red cedar

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up western red cedar? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

voracity

play

the quality or state of being insatiable

BROWSE DICTIONARY

western poppy

western ragweed

western red cedar

western red lily

western redtail

Test Your Vocabulary

Name More Food!

Name that Fruit!

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games