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pencil cedar

pencil cedar

6.3
Wood from an evergreen cedar tree used to make pencils
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : madera de cedro para lápices
  • The best drawing pencils are often made from pencil cedar because of its fine texture.

Examples

  • Traditional pencil cedar is prized for its pleasant scent and smooth grain.

  • Sustainable harvesting of pencil cedar is important for the pencil industry.

  • The pencil cedar tree is known for its aromatic wood.

  • Many artists prefer using pencil cedar for sketching.

  • Many artists prefer using pencil cedar for sketching due to its excellent ability to hold a fine point.

  • The best drawing pencils are often made from pencil cedar because of its smooth texture and durability.

  • Sustainable harvesting of pencil cedar helps ensure the quality and supply of wood for pencil manufacturing.

Synonyms

cedar
vspencil cedar
12 3.1

Long-lasting, pleasant-smelling wood used for furniture and lining closets to keep moths away

is a specific kind used to make thin wooden writing cores
cedarwood
vspencil cedar
1 3.5

Wood from cedar trees that smells pleasant, resists rot, and is used for chests and furniture

is preferred for producing slender wooden writing sticks rather than large furniture
cigar-box cedar
vspencil cedar
6.9

A light fragrant wood that people use to make cigar boxes and protect cigars

is chosen for making thin wooden writing cores not for boxes

Surface Forms

pencil cedar singular
pencil cedars plural

Morphology

pencil + cedar

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound where 'pencil' modifies 'cedar', indicating a type of cedar (or cedar wood) associated with pencils. A B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer it means the cedar wood used for pencils; the compositional attributive pattern is common and predictable.

Etymology

Pencil cedar can also mean the wood from that tree, not just the tree itself. The wood was the material pencil makers liked for its fine grain and fragrance, so the phrase came to mean the cedar wood 'for making pencils'.