conifer

noun

co·​ni·​fer ˈkä-nə-fər 

 also  ˈkō-

: any of an order (Coniferales) of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs having usually needle-shaped or scalelike leaves and including forms (such as pines) with true cones and others (such as yews) with an arillate fruit

coniferous

kō-ˈni-f(ə-)rəs 

kə-

adjective

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Any of an order of trees and shrubs, conifers usually have usually needle-shaped or scale-like leaves. Conifers include forms (such as pines) with true cones and others (such as yews) that bear a fruit. There are more than 550 species of conifers, and most are evergreen trees and shrubs. They grow throughout the world (except in Antarctica) and prefer temperate climate zones. They include the world's smallest and tallest trees. Conifers supply softwood timber used for general construction, boxes and crates, and other articles, as well as pulpwood for paper. The wood is also used as fuel and in the manufacture of cellulose products, plywood, and veneers. The trees are the source of resins, oils, turpentine, tars, and pharmaceuticals.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Insulate tender perennials like roses, clematis and dahlias with mulch, compost, leaves, conifer branches or any kind of organic matter that will protect root systems. —oregonlive, 23 Feb. 2023

These remnants face many threats—from deer, sheep, encroachment of non-native rhododendrons or conifer plantation, air pollution etc.—but increasingly, work is being done to protect them. —Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 8 Feb. 2023

Almost 40 million years ago a flower bloomed in a Baltic conifer forest. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 12 Jan. 2023

The fossil’s long saga likely began between 34 and 38 million years ago, during the late Eocene, when a blob of sticky resin oozed out of a conifer tree near the Baltic Sea in what is now Russia. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Jan. 2023

Winter grouse spend a good deal of time in thick conifer cover that offers protection from cold winds and typically less snow at ground level. —Tom Davis, Field & Stream, 10 Jan. 2023

If that’s the case, don’t be afraid to strategically rotate your conifer toward a wall. —Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 2 Dec. 2022

That enrichment promoted flowering plants over their conifer cousins. —Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 29 Dec. 2021

Old-growth conifer and mature forest, steep terrain and fast-moving streams characterize this unique ecosystem, which is home to black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, elk, rainbow trout and other animal species. —Discover Magazine, 2 June 2017

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Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Latin conifer cone-bearing, from conus cone + -fer

First Known Use

circa 1841, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

conifer

noun

con·​i·​fer

ˈkän-ə-fər,

 also  ˈkō-nə-

: any of an order of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs having leaves resembling needles or scales in shape and including forms (as pines) with true cones