madrone

American  

[muh-droh-nuh] / məˈdroʊ nə /

Also madrona,

noun

1. any of several evergreen trees belonging to the genus Arbutus, of the heath family, especially A. menziesii Pacific madrone of western North America, having red, flaky bark and bearing edible reddish berries.

2. the pale reddish-brown wood of this tree.

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Etymology

Origin of madrone

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; from Latin American Spanish (Panama, Colombia), Spanish madroño “strawberry tree,” Mozarabic maṭroño; further origin uncertain

Compare meaning

How does madrone compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• madrone vs. manzanita

Example Sentences

“I remember feeling the sun shining through the madrone or manzanita trees, the air smelling good, like fresh outdoor air,” Ringo, now in her 30s, told The Mercury News.

From New York Times • Dec. 16, 2022

My neighborhood is bounded by a green belt of dying madrone and big leaf maple trees, many that were planted decades ago and are now at the end of their life cycle.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 16, 2022

We gazed through a window at the tops of oak and madrone trees growing on the slope.

From The New Yorker • May 20, 2019

Other long-lived Northwest plants also have been dying in unusual numbers in recent years, including bigleaf maple trees, Pacific madrone and Western red cedars.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 28, 2019

In one place a forest of giant madrone trees joined their tops over a true tarn, a black, spring-fed lake.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck