red cedar

noun

1. Also called eastern red cedar, an American, coniferous tree, Juniperus virginiana, yielding a fragrant, reddish wood used for making lead pencils, etc.
2. the western red cedar, Thuja plicata.
3. the wood of these trees.

red cedar

noun

1. any of several North American coniferous trees, esp Juniperus virginiana , a juniper that has fragrant reddish wood used for making pencils, and Thuja plicata , an arbor vitae
2. the wood of any of these trees

Word History and Origins

Origin of red cedar¹

An Americanism dating back to 1675–85

Example Sentences

Douglas James stood Thursday on the Mall in front of the 25-foot totem pole he and a team had spent three months hand-carving and painting from a 400-year-old red cedar tree.

From Washington Post

The tops of all the hills—dry, barren ridges they were—were covered with a thick grove of the red cedar.

From Project Gutenberg

The poles are of large size, and stand eighty to the mile, more than half of red cedar, the remainder mostly pine.

From Project Gutenberg

On the lower slopes Douglas spruce and Western hemlock predominate, with red cedar along the streams.

From Project Gutenberg

Red Cedar had been surprised by the hunters at midnight, and his camp was at once fired by the assailants.

From Project Gutenberg

Stanapat and Red Cedar understood this, and hence redoubled their efforts to crush the enemy.

From Project Gutenberg