casuarina

noun

ca·​su·​a·​ri·​na ˌka-zhə-(wə-)ˈrē-nə How to pronounce casuarina (audio)
: any of a genus (Casuarina of the family Casuarinaceae) of dicotyledonous chiefly Australian trees which have whorls of scalelike leaves and jointed stems resembling horsetails and some of which yield a heavy hard wood

Examples of casuarina in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Even the drooping casuarinas — imitation pines imported from Australia — seemed to lament their own story of displacement and adaptation. Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, genus name, from Malay (pohon) kĕsuari, literally, cassowary tree; from the resemblance of its twigs to cassowary feathers

First Known Use

1777, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of casuarina was in 1777

Dictionary Entries Near casuarina

Cite this Entry

“Casuarina.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/casuarina. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!