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Glite Dictionary
🌲 A large evergreen 🪵 Aromatic wood 🌳 A small evergreen
red cedar

red cedar

3.0
A small evergreen tree with needle-like leaves that grows in eastern North America
  • noun
  • /rɛd ˈsiːdər/
  • US
translation icon : cedro rojo
  • We planted a row of red cedars along the eastern fence for privacy and shade.
  • eastern red cedar

Examples

  • The red cedar tree is known for its aromatic wood, making it popular for construction and outdoor furniture.

  • The red cedar tree is known for its durability.

  • Many birds nest in the dense foliage of the red cedar tree.

  • The aromatic wood of the red cedar is often used to make chests and closets.

  • Many people love the scent of red cedar wood.

  • In Virginia, the red cedar can grow up to 50 feet tall and is commonly found in many eastern forests.

  • Gardeners often choose red cedar for its conical shape and resilience to harsh weather conditions.

Synonyms

Juniperus virginiana
vsred cedar
  • Specialized
9.9

A small evergreen tree with reddish-brown peeling bark and small sharp leaves

is the common name for the same tree rather than the scientific name
eastern red cedar
vsred cedar
  • US
6.8

A small North American juniper tree with reddish-brown peeling bark and sharp needle-like leaves

is the common regional name for that same species rather than a formal term
red juniper
vsred cedar
  • US
7.9

A small tree with sharp needles and peeling brown bark that grows in eastern North America

is the general common term for that North American conifer species

Surface Forms

red cedar singular
red cedars plural

Morphology

red + cedar

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'red' (a color) + 'cedar' (an aromatic conifer): a cedar that is red or has reddish wood. Color + noun combinations to name a variety or type are cross-linguistically common and follow a transparent, predictable pattern that a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer.

Etymology

Red cedar was named by people who noticed the small tree's reddish, scented 'wood' and used 'red' for the colour and 'cedar' for the smell, so today red cedar means this smaller evergreen often used in gardens as a 'tree'.