coast redwood

[ kohst red-wood ]

noun

1. an endangered coniferous tree, Sequoia sempervirens, of coastal California and southwestern Oregon with massive girth and tremendous height, one of three extant species of subfamily Sequoioideae: the tallest and among the oldest of all living things, coast redwoods have been known to exceed 375 feet (114 meters) in height and 2,200 years in age. Compare redwood ¹( def 1 ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of coast redwood¹

First recorded in 1895–1900