juniper
Americannoun
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any evergreen, coniferous shrub or tree of the genus Juniperus, especially J. communis, having cones that resemble dark-blue or blackish berries used in flavoring gin and in medicine as a diuretic.
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a tree mentioned in the Old Testament, said to be the retem.
noun
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any coniferous shrub or small tree of the genus Juniperus, of the N hemisphere, having purple berry-like cones. The cones of J. communis ( common or dwarf juniper ) are used as a flavouring in making gin See also red cedar
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any of various similar trees, grown mainly as ornamentals
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Old Testament one of the trees used in the building of Solomon's temple (I Kings 6:15, 34) and for shipbuilding (Ezekiel 27:5)
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of juniper
1350–1400; Middle English junipere < Latin jūniperus
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.
See Examples For:
“There was a privet hedge, a lonely juniper, a hibiscus, a large bird of paradise and a camellia bush,” he says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
And Pernod Ricard launched a non-alcoholic version of gin, along with Cinzano Spritz 0% and Ceder’s, a gin-like non-alcoholic beverage with botanical notes of juniper, rooibos and buchu.
From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2025
This area used to be covered by a thick juniper forest, but these could have been cut to facilitate iron production.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2024
Eventually, he settled on the eight most frequently mentioned: desert dates, Yemeni Sidr honey, sycamore figs, Israeli golden raisins, prickly juniper berries, carob fruit, black cumin and frankincense.
From New York Times ● Jun. 20, 2024
With her strike-fire, she lit a curl of juniper bark tinder, and one of the rushlights flared into life: a bright, clear, comforting flame.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
The three on West 8th Street were a type of dragon tree, and the ones on West Temple Street were junipers, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2025
According to the study, this drying occurred between 16,000 and 13,000 years ago, followed by the destruction of forests and the replacement of trees like oaks and junipers with more fire-resistant plants like pines.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2023
He said the pie's flavours had been inspired by the deer who live in the local countryside and their habitats and includes venison, redcurrants, mushrooms, junipers - and dark chocolate.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2023
They’re out there now, in the junipers, by the porch light, in the railing of your apartment balcony.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 19, 2022
We found tracks near the junipers that surrounded the house.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
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.
