white cedar

American  

noun

1. any of several chiefly coniferous trees valued for their wood, especially Chamaecyparis thyoides, of the eastern U.S., or Thuja occidentalis northern white cedar, of northeastern North America.

2. the wood of any of these trees.

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white cedar British  

noun

1. a coniferous tree, Chamaecyparis thyoides, of swampy regions in North America, having scalelike leaves and boxlike cones: family Cupressaceae See also cypress 1

2. the wood of this tree, which is used for building boats, etc

3. a coniferous tree, Thuja occidentalis, of NE North America, having scalelike leaves: family Cupressaceae See also arbor vitae

4. the wood of this tree, much used for telegraph poles

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Etymology

Origin of white cedar

An Americanism dating back to 1665–75

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

white cedar

The notes range from ginger to orris root, white cedar and vetiver.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2024

“Atlantic white cedar forests are very special places, and you know it as soon as you step into one,” said Carleton Montgomery, executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 23, 2021

Holcomb and his students redid the interior and exterior surfaces in white cedar from boards milled by an Amish community in Ohio.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 25, 2020

The faceted exterior, shingled in white cedar and faded by wind and rain to the color of polished pewter, is built in a concave bend around a circular gravel driveway.

From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2020

They were of white pine, red or white cedar, or of tulip tree; and their crews poled standing or paddled kneeling, for they had no thwarts.

From All Afloat A Chronicle of Craft and Waterways by Wood, William Charles Henry