bristlecone pine

noun

bris·​tle·​cone pine ˈbri-səl-ˌkōn- 

: any of three pines (Pinus aristata, P. balfouriana, and P. longaeva) of the western U.S. that include the oldest living trees

called also bristlecone

Illustration of bristlecone pine

Examples of bristlecone pine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And there are many other old-growth forests across the continent – including northeastern spruce fir and northern hardwoods forests, Great Lakes red pine and jack pine woodlands, southern Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests, and Great Basin bristlecone pines reaching nearly 5,000 years old. —Reed Frederick Noss, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025

High in California’s White Mountains, twisted by wind and time, stands a Great Basin bristlecone pine known as Methuselah. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025

Even within the bristlecone pine lineage, Methuselah once had an older sibling. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025

In Nevada, Great Basin National Park dazzles with ancient bristlecone pines and some of the darkest night skies in the country. —Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bristlecone pine

• aminophylline
• azathioprine
• chlorpheniramine
• cholestyramine
• cryptocrystalline
• diphenhydramine
• hydroxyproline
• intercrystalline
• microcrystalline
• monocrystalline
• nanocrystalline
• neuroendocrine

Kids Definition

bristlecone pine

noun

bris·​tle·​cone pine ˌbris-əl-ˌkōn- 

: either of two pines of the western U.S. that include the oldest living trees