pine

¹

[pahyn]

noun

1. any evergreen, conifer of the genus Pinus, having long, needle-shaped leaves, certain species of which yield timber, turpentine, tar, pitch, etc.

2. any of various similar coniferous trees.

3. the wood of the pine tree.

4. Informal.,  the pineapple.

pine

²

[pahyn]

verb (used without object)

pined, pining 

1. to yearn deeply; suffer with longing; long painfully (often followed byfor ).

   to pine for one's home and family.

2. to fail gradually in health or vitality from grief, regret, or longing (often followed byaway ).

   Separated by their families, the lovers pined away.

   Synonyms: waste, droop, languish, decline, dwindle

3. Archaic.,  to be discontented; fret.

verb (used with object)

pined, pining 

1. Archaic.,  to suffer grief or regret over.

noun

1. Archaic.,  painful longing.

pine

¹

/ paɪn /

noun

1. any evergreen resinous coniferous tree of the genus Pinus, of the N hemisphere, with long needle-shaped leaves and brown cones: family Pinaceae See also longleaf pine nut pine pitch pine Scots pine

2. any other tree or shrub of the family Pinaceae

3. the wood of any of these trees

4. any of various similar but unrelated plants, such as ground pine and screw pine

pine

²

/ paɪn /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by for or an infinitive) to feel great longing or desire; yearn

2. to become ill, feeble, or thin through worry, longing, etc

3. archaic,  (tr) to mourn or grieve for

Pine

³

/ paɪn /

noun

1. Courtney. born 1964, British jazz saxophonist and clarinettist

Other Word Forms

• pinelike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pine¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English pin(e), pigne, Old English pīntrēow “pine tree,” from Old French pin and Latin pīnus

Origin of pine²

First recorded before 900; Middle English pinen “to torture, torment, inflict pain, be in pain”; Old English pīnian “to torture,” derivative of pīn “torture” ( Middle English pine ), from Late Latin pēna, Latin poena “punishment”; pain

Word History and Origins

Origin of pine¹

Old English pīn, from Latin pīnus pine

Origin of pine²

Old English pīnian to torture, from pīn pain, from Medieval Latin pēna, from Latin poena _pain

Synonym Study

See yearn.

Example Sentences

He was so good that he could look at an entire oak, pine, or even a chestnut tree, and tell you how many logs it would yield once it had been cut down.

Read more on Literature

Senesh was fortunate that her parachute jump in March 1944 didn’t kill her, as she landed on a pine tree and hung 30 feet above ground “like a human Christmas ornament.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Tiger With Cubs” depicts a tigress nursing her young under pine trees as magpies heckle them.

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In the town of Rikuzentakata, a single pine tree from a coastal forest of about seventy thousand trees survived the tsunami.

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I tried to sleep on the bed of pine wood across the bottom, but it is impossible.

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Related Words

• ache 
• crave 
• grieve 
• hanker 
• mourn 
• yearn