alerce

[ uh-ler-suh ]

/ əˈlɛr sə /

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noun

the wood of the sandarac tree.

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

Chilean cedar.

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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”; see origin at larch

Words nearby alerce

aleph-bet, aleph-null, Aleppo, Aleppo gall, Aleppo pine, alerce, alerion, alert, -ales, Alesia, Alessandra

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use alerce in a sentence

Alerce, a-lers′, n. the wood of the sandarac-tree: the Chilian Arbor vit—both of the pine family.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
On the higher parts, brushwood takes the place of larger trees, with here and there a red cedar or an alerce pine.
A Naturalist's Voyage Round the World|Charles Darwin

British Dictionary definitions for alerce

alerce

/ (əˈlɜːs, æˈlɜːsɪ) /

noun

the wood of the sandarac tree

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

Word Origin for alerce

Spanish: larch, from Latin larix, influenced by Arabic al-arz

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012