coniferous

[ koh-nif-er-uhs, kuh- ]

/ koʊˈnɪf ər əs, kə- /

Save This Word!

adjective Botany.

belonging or pertaining to the conifers. Compare conifer (def. 1).

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of coniferous

First recorded in 1655–65; see origin at conifer, -ous

Words nearby coniferous

conic section, conidiophore, conidium, conifer, coniferin, coniferous, coniine, coniology, conirostral, Coniston Water, conium

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

How to use coniferous in a sentence

What’s more, they’re not picky eaters, and eat both deciduous and coniferous tree leaves.
The surprising link between caterpillar poop and our climate|Elana Spivack|November 3, 2021|Popular-Science
These aptly named insects live on only a few coniferous species and blend into the barbed texture of the branches with their spiky horns.
Inflatable tentacles and silk hats: See how caterpillars trick predators to survive|Erin Fennessy|October 29, 2021|Popular-Science
What’s more, coniferous canopies, by nature of being darker than ice, absorb more light and heat than they reflect.
This CRISPR startup thinks that mammoths can save the Arctic. Is it right?|Charlotte Hu|September 13, 2021|Popular-Science
As a coniferous forest reclaims the city of Pripyat in Ukraine, hundreds of species, from butterflies to bison, roam crumbling streets and abandoned buildings.
How nature has taken over Chernobyl|Sara Chodosh|July 21, 2021|Popular-Science

A 1938 city law decreed that “storekeepers and peddlers may sell and display coniferous trees during the month of December.”
Even COVID can’t stop New York City’s sidewalk Christmas tree vendors|matthewheimer|December 24, 2020|Fortune
Since softwood trees bear cones, they are called coniferous trees.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Why they should prefer coniferous trees, unless to utilize the needles for a nest, is not understood.
Bird Neighbors|Neltje Blanchan
Araucaria, a genus of trees of the coniferous or pine order, indigenous to Australasia and South America.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various
The frogs were found beneath logs and rocks in a damp canyon in coniferous forest.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacn, Mxico|William E. Duellman
It seems to prefer rather open coniferous forests in which there is a more or less continuous cover of grasses on the ground.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacn, Mxico|William E. Duellman

British Dictionary definitions for coniferous

coniferous

/ (kəˈnɪfərəs, kɒ-) /

adjective

of, relating to, or belonging to the plant phylum ConiferophytaSee conifer

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