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

The football is where you left it at the end of last year’s Thanksgiving Family Touch Football Game, which is stuck at the top of your neighbor’s 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

And how, in the very same way, the oil-slick sheen of a June Bug wing may reveal its unseen spectra only against the brief-blooming dogwood in just the right season of sun.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2023

The goal was to reduce dead and downed vegetation, slow the regeneration of Pacific dogwood and expose patches of mineral soil where sequoia seedlings could take root, according to an incident action plan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2023

A chilly breeze rustled through the woods and a gust of white dogwood petals blew into the clearing.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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

In Moran’s leafy northwest Washington neighborhood, a profusion of rainbow flags and Pride Month bunting blossomed from windows and storefronts, as bright and cheery as the brilliant dogwoods and lustrous azalea bushes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2023

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

Simon and Nick’s neighborhood looks like a storybook illustration, with its carefully mowed lawns, painted shutters, and buds on all the dogwoods.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli