Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of several Eurasian evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Cedrus in the family Pinaceae, having stiff needles on short shoots and large erect seed cones with broad deciduous scales, and including the cedar of Lebanon.
  • noun Any of several other evergreen coniferous trees or shrubs, especially members of the family Cupressaceae such as the Alaska cedar, incense cedar, or red cedar.
  • noun The durable aromatic wood of any of these plants, especially that of the red cedar, often used to make chests.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A tree of the coniferous genus Cedrus, of which three species are known.
  • noun The name given, usually with qualifying terms, to various coniferous trees, chiefly North American, and of genera nearly allied to Cedrus.
  • noun A name popularly given in tropical regions to a considerable number of trees, mostly of the natural order Meliaceæ, in no way related to the preceding.
  • noun The wood of the cedar-tree (Cedrus), or (with or without a qualifying term) of any kind of tree called a cedar.
  • Pertaining to the cedar; made of cedar: as, a cedar twig.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or pertaining to cedar.
  • noun (Bot.) The name of several evergreen trees. The wood is remarkable for its durability and fragrant odor.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun countable A coniferous tree of the genus Cedrus in the coniferous plant family Pinaceae.
  • noun uncountable The aromatic wood from such a tree.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun durable aromatic wood of any of numerous cedar trees; especially wood of the red cedar often used for cedar chests
  • noun any of numerous trees of the family Cupressaceae that resemble cedars
  • noun any cedar of the genus Cedrus

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English cedre, from Old French, from Latin cedrus, from Greek kedros.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French cedre, from Latin cedrus, from Ancient Greek κέδρος (kedros).

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Examples

  • It was a beautiful spot, the clear torrent of the river Montmerenci falling in cascades over a curious formation of layers of stone and steps on either side, with the bright green _arbor vitae_, which they call cedar, growing above and in every niche it can find a bit of soil; wild raspberries and strawberries too, which, alas, were over.

    The British Association's Visit to Montreal, 1884 : letters Clara Rayleigh

  • Crozet, however, asserts, in his account of Marion's voyage that they found what he calls the cedar of New Zealand to weigh no heavier than the best Riga fir.

    John Rutherford, the White Chief George Lillie Craik 1832

  • The only thing they are good for is mature bucks like to hide in cedar thickets in winter time 'cause that is the thickest cover around then.

    Kill Some Trees On Earth Day 2009

  • The only thing they are good for is mature bucks like to hide in cedar thickets in winter time 'cause that is the thickest cover around then.

    Kill Some Trees On Earth Day 2009

  • This really sounds like the perfect little home, and cedar is a great timber to use for a home like this, I have always liked a log cabin showroom interior design Says:

    Sustainable Design Update » Blog Archive » Free Green Cabin Plans 2009

  • They can put it in cedar hills where the socialist nimby's kept out Walmart.

    Congratulations, Beaverton (Jack Bog's Blog) 2009

  • I would have to agree with djfred and also would like to see the unit swathed in cedar red or dark.

    Rocio Romero Prefab Home Tour Kicks Off Tomorrow in NY! | Inhabitat 2008

  • The cedar is pink and corral, neon almost when we first cut it.

    what I did for thanksgiving vacation | clusterflock 2008

  • We ran out of town yesterday afternoon and evening for a graduation ceremony, and it was a lot of fun, but I think sitting outside in cedar country caused my allergies to go into overdrive.

    May 19th, 2006 2006

  • Cedar and white ash, rock-cedar and sand plants and tamarisk red cedar and white cedar and black cedar from the inmost forest, fragrance upon fragrance and all of my sea-magic is for nought.

    Hymen Hilda Doolittle 1921

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