alerce

American  

[uh-ler-suh] / əˈlɛr sə /

noun

1. the wood of the sandarac tree.

2. a Chilean evergreen tree, Fitzroya cupressoides, having furrowed, reddish bark and overlapping leaves.

3. Chilean cedar.

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alerce British  

/ æˈlɜːsɪ, əˈlɜːs /

noun

1. the wood of the sandarac tree

2. a cupressus-like Chilean pine, Fitzroya cupressoides, cut for timber

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Etymology

Origin of alerce

First recorded in 1770–80; from Spanish, an extended meaning of alerce “European larch” (Larix decidua), influenced by Arabic al-ʾarz “the cypress, larch”; larch ( def. )

Example Sentences

Though logging alerce has been outlawed, illegal deforestation has continued to plague Chiloé, while native forest has been replaced by tree plantations.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2024

The blaze broke out on Thursday at Los Alerces national park, a Unesco World Heritage site in northern Patagonia, which is home to huge alerce trees.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2024

In 1993, Lara and a colleague discovered an alerce tree stump in Chile that was more than 3,622 years old, placing alerce trees above giant sequoias as among the oldest trees in the world.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2022

In a 1993 study, Lara and a colleague reported an alerce stump in southern Chile that had 3622 growth rings.

From Science Magazine • May 19, 2022

On the higher parts, brushwood takes the place of larger trees, with here and there a red cedar or an alerce pine.

From The Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, Charles