dogwood

American  

[dawg-wood, dog-] / ˈdɔgˌwʊd, ˈdɒg- /

noun

• dogwoods
  plural

1. any tree or shrub of the genus Cornus, especially C. sanguinea, of Europe, or C. florida, of America.

2. the wood of any such tree.

3. a light to medium brown or a medium yellowish-brown color.

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adjective

1. having the color dogwood.

dogwood British  

/ ˈdɒɡˌwʊd /

noun

1. any of various cornaceous trees or shrubs of the genus Cornus , esp C. sanguinea, a European shrub with clusters of small white flowers and black berries: the shoots are red in winter

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dogwoods
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dogwood

First recorded in 1610–20; dog + wood ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dogwood dogwoods

Sentinels stand on the plot’s four corners: kousa dogwood, favored for its red accents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

I’m the one who punted it into the dogwood tree.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025

Hineline argued that writing down seasonal milestones can reduce the oppressive feeling of unease you get when you see the dogwood trees putting out flowers before Easter.

From Slate ● Mar. 24, 2024

This insect is not native to North America and is a pest of more than 130 species of plants including poplars, ash, beech, maple, willows, dogwood, cotoneaster and lilacs.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 6, 2024

When we got home, me and Wishbone went out front and sat in the shade of the dogwood tree.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor

The understory of the ponderosa and sugar pine forest was speckled with manzanita, oak trees and dogwoods with yellow leaves, marking the start of fall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2024

Baker notes that the lineage that led to blueberries, for instance, is the result of an ancient hybridization between dogwoods and the ancestors of coffee plants, daisies, and mints.

From Science Magazine ● Apr. 23, 2024

Azalea Way is a quarter-mile path through the heart of the Arboretum lined with flowering cherries, azaleas and dogwoods.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 30, 2023

Some of the trees they’re taking down will be replaced with oaks, dogwoods and other trees, park officials said.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 1, 2023

In the spring the aromatic scent of wild flowers, redbuds, papaws, and dogwoods, drifting on the wind currents, spread over the valley and around our home.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls