coniferous
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of coniferous
Explanation
Anything that's coniferous has to do with trees or shrubs that grow pinecones. If you celebrate Christmas, you might observe the holiday by decorating a coniferous tree with lights and ornaments. The adjective coniferous is used to describe conifers, woody evergreens that have cones and needles rather than leaves. Coniferous forests and taigas are full of these trees, including pines, hemlocks, junipers, and firs. Whenever you see a pinecone, you can be sure it came from a coniferous tree or shrub. The Latin source of coniferous means "cone-bearing," from roots conus, "cone," and ferre, "to carry."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Neither the Amazon nor the Congo, it is the 1.5 billion acre band of coniferous forest running from Newfoundland to Alaska.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
These results are applicable to California, which also has coniferous forest and relies on snowpack to provide moisture during the relatively drier summer seasons, Fairfax said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2024
It tore through more than 4,000 acres of dense coniferous forest near the Seattle City Light’s hydropower dams and two towns that house staff.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 1, 2024
They were also more likely to consume seeds on the spot in coniferous forests than in broadleaf forests, again probably because of the availability of other food stores.
From Science Daily • Nov. 6, 2023
Cloud Pond was a couple of hundred acres of exquisitely peaceful water surrounded by dark coniferous forest, the treetops pointy black silhouettes against a pale blue evening sky.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.