Spanish cedar

American  

noun

1. a tropical American tree, Cedrela odorata, of the mahogany family.

2. the hard, fragrant, mahoganylike brown wood of this tree, used for making furniture and especially cigar boxes.

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Spanish cedar British  

noun

1. a tall meliaceous tree, Cedrela odorata, of tropical America, the East Indies, and Australia, having smooth bark, pinnate leaves, yellow flowers, and light-coloured aromatic wood

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Etymology

Origin of Spanish cedar

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Still, the renovation had to be done — in wood, Spanish cedar for the facade and mahogany for the front stoop, which was so large it had to be lowered into place by a crane.

From New York Times

It also refers to “a sensuously curved staircase” with four bedrooms and a “gleaming, all-white kitchen. A roof terrace “is expensively paved with Indiana limestone and has a pergola built of clear Spanish cedar.”

From The Guardian

Along with preventing deforestation, the communities have succeeded in protecting the most threatened tree species in the jungle, native bigleaf mahogany and Spanish cedar, according to a study released this month.

From New York Times

The sleek shells that resulted from the process were not only more beautiful than the Spanish cedar shells but also demonstrably faster.

From Literature

“Almost every box I use here comes from Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic - someplace in Central America - and they are made out of Spanish cedar,” Reneker said.

From Washington Times