juniper

[ joo-nuh-per ]

/ ˈdʒu nə pər /

Save This Word!

noun

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.

a tree mentioned in the Old Testament, said to be the retem.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of juniper

1350–1400; Middle English junipere<Latin jūniperus

Words nearby juniper

junior miss, junior school, junior technician, junior varsity, junior welterweight, juniper, juniper berry, juniper oil, juniper tar, Junius, junk

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use juniper in a sentence

London dry gins can actually be made anywhere following specific production rules that, beyond stipulating the primacy of juniper and tightly restricting sugar content, do not really govern how the gin must taste.
Gin has gone global, with appealing new styles and flavors that stretch its very definition|M. Carrie Allan|September 27, 2021|Washington Post
For ten consecutive nights, I could barely breathe from all the juniper pollen, which was visibly caked on the branches outside my bedroom windows.
This Air Purifier Is the Only Thing That Gets Me Through Pollen Season|klindsey|September 14, 2021|Outside Online
In particular, the young researchers found it strange that there were no stands of juniper trees at its summit, despite the fact that the hardy conifers thrived at similar elevations nearby.
What’s in a packrat’s petrified pee? Just a few thousand years of secrets.|Rachel Feltman|August 12, 2021|Popular-Science
Fueling their light sources were juniper branches, animal fat and other materials that Stone Age humans would have had at hand.
How torchlight, lamps and fire illuminated Stone Age cave art|Jaime Chambers|August 5, 2021|Science News For Students

Hardy, drought-tolerant softwoods like junipers and pinyon pines dominate in the hot, dry landscape of central New Mexico, with smatterings of taller Douglas firs and spruces in the cooler, higher reaches of the mountains.
The climate solution actually adding millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere|James Temple, Lisa Song|April 29, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Hoffman at Juniper has some advice on how to protect yourself.
The Virus in Your Pocket: a Boom in Android Malware|Dan Lyons|February 16, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Might this be the endgame of the series, to see the Henricksons restored as the rightful custodians of Juniper Creek?
'Big Love's Big Comeback|Jace Lacob|January 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Flavors of red plums, juniper, and star anise make it the perfect holiday party red to go with cheeses or chocolate truffles.
Holiday Wine and Booze Gift Guide|Ratha Tep|December 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Juniper, which is the principal flavoring of gin, is very fragrant, with a pine scent.
Best of the Best|Cookstr.com|October 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The sun was printing over the floor the shadow skeleton of the juniper-tree by the westerly window.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Burn the male olive-branch and the pine twig and juniper, and let the blazing laurel crackle amid the hearth.
The Religion of Ancient Rome|Cyril Bailey
In spite of the snow that evening we had a cheery bonfire of juniper, willow and rhododendron.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
Mince an onion; take about a dozen peppercorns, twenty juniper berries, three bayleaves, and put these into a gill of vinegar.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis
In front of the house there was a court, in which grew a juniper-tree.
Grimms' Fairy Tales|The Brothers Grimm

British Dictionary definitions for juniper

juniper

/ (ˈdʒuːnɪpə) /

noun

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 ginSee also red cedar (def. 1)

any of various similar trees, grown mainly as ornamentals

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)

Word Origin for juniper

C14: from Latin jūniperus, of obscure origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012