giant sequoia

[ jahy-uhnt si-kwaw-uh ]

noun

an endangered coniferous tree, Sequoiadendron giganteum (formerly Sequoia gigantea), of coastal California with massive girth and tremendous height, one of three extant species of subfamily Sequoioideae: the largest in volume and among the oldest of all living things, giant sequoias have been known to exceed 52,000 cubic feet (1,472 cubic meters) in trunk size, 300 feet (91.5 meters) in height, and 3,200 years in age.: Compare redwood¹ (def. 1). See also General Grant tree, General Sherman tree.

Origin of giant sequoia

First recorded in 1930–35

Also called gi·ant red·wood [jahy-uhnt red-wood], /ˈdʒaɪ ənt ˈrɛdˌwʊd/, Si·er·ra red·wood [see-er-uh-red-wood], /siˈɛr ə ˈrɛdˌwʊd/, sequoia, big tree [big-tree] /ˈbɪg ˈtri/ .

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

The famed giant sequoia groves—and the 275-foot General Sherman tree—are still closed.
What You Missed: Yellowstone Bans Forrest Fenn Treasure Hunter | Fred Dreier | November 12, 2021 | Outside Online
Hundreds of giant sequoia trees burned, and images circulated the globe of officials draping the 200-foot-tall trees an aluminum blankets to prevent embers from igniting them.
What You Missed: Yellowstone Bans Forrest Fenn Treasure Hunter | Fred Dreier | November 12, 2021 | Outside Online
Strap on snowshoes or cross-country skis to make tracks along a groomed section of Glacier Point Road, or head to the Crane Flat area to pick up the relatively short trails to the Tuolumne Grove and Merced Grove of giant sequoias.
The Ultimate Yosemite National Park Travel Guide | Shawnté Salabert | February 22, 2021 | Outside Online
On the plain grew giant sequoia, cypress, juniper, and other semitropical trees.
North Dakota | Various
Not even in the giant sequoia groves of the Sierra have I found any spot more cathedral-like than this.
The Book of the National Parks | Robert Sterling Yard

A giant sequoia lifts tons of solid matter and water up hundreds of feet.
The Breath of Life | John Burroughs

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