conifer

[koh-nuh-fer, kon-uh-]

noun

1. any of numerous, chiefly evergreen trees or shrubs of the class Coniferinae (or group Coniferales), including the pine, fir, spruce, and other cone-bearing trees and shrubs, and also the yews and their allies that bear drupelike seeds.

2. a plant producing naked seeds in cones, or single naked seeds as in yews, but with pollen always borne in cones.

conifer

/ ˈkəʊnɪfə, ˈkɒn- /

noun

1. any gymnosperm tree or shrub of the phylum Coniferophyta , typically bearing cones and evergreen leaves. The group includes the pines, spruces, firs, larches, yews, junipers, cedars, cypresses, and sequoias

conifer

1. Any of various gymnosperms that bear their reproductive structures in cones and belong to the phylum Coniferophyta. Conifers evolved around 300 million years ago and, as a group, show many adaptations to drier and cooler environments. They are usually evergreen and often have drought-resistant leaves that are needle-shaped or scalelike. They depend on the wind to blow pollen produced by male cones to female cones, where fertilization takes place and seeds develop. Conifers are widely distributed, but conifer species dominate the northern forest biome known as the taiga. There are some 550 species of conifers, including the pines, firs, spruces, hemlocks, cypresses, junipers, yews, and redwoods.

2. See more at pollination seed-bearing plant

Word History and Origins

Origin of conifer¹

1350–1400; Middle English conefere < Latin cōnifer coniferous, equivalent to cōn ( us ) cone + -i- + -fer -fer

Word History and Origins

Origin of conifer¹

C19: from Latin, from cōnus _cone + ferre to bear

Example Sentences

"We haven't put the conifers back and the nation needs timber."

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The spruce bark beetle, or Ips typographus, has been munching its way through the conifer trees of Europe for decades, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

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A footbridge carries you above a developing conifer thicket.

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The conifer forests, which were heavily logged over the last century, will be managed by the tribal government as two protected areas, the Blue Creek Salmon Sanctuary and the Yurok Tribal Community Forest.

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It has more than 550 miles of hiking trails, including several treks where you can find yourself in solitude in dense conifer forests with sweeping mountain views.

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Related Words

• cedar 
• pine