conifer

noun

co·​ni·​fer ˈkä-nə-fər 

 also  ˈkō-

: any of an order (Coniferales) of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs having usually needle-shaped or scalelike leaves and including forms (such as pines) with true cones and others (such as yews) with an arillate fruit

coniferous

kō-ˈni-f(ə-)rəs 

kə-

adjective

Did you know?

Any of an order of trees and shrubs, conifers usually have usually needle-shaped or scale-like leaves. Conifers include forms (such as pines) with true cones and others (such as yews) that bear a fruit. There are more than 550 species of conifers, and most are evergreen trees and shrubs. They grow throughout the world (except in Antarctica) and prefer temperate climate zones. They include the world's smallest and tallest trees. Conifers supply softwood timber used for general construction, boxes and crates, and other articles, as well as pulpwood for paper. The wood is also used as fuel and in the manufacture of cellulose products, plywood, and veneers. The trees are the source of resins, oils, turpentine, tars, and pharmaceuticals.

Examples of conifer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even the nursery tags can be confusing—conifers often list a 10-year height and width, which can surprise you on year 12. —Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Oct. 2024

California is home to more than a dozen species of pine trees and has some of the largest, tallest and oldest conifers in the world, according to the California Native Plant Society. —Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024

Admission: Free Baker Arboretum is something of a conifer sanctuary, with its specialized conifer garden that includes more than 80 kinds of conifer species, many of which are on the Red List of Threatened Species. —Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 14 Nov. 2024

Stands of conifers throughout the state provide an unchanging backdrop of green. —Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Latin conifer cone-bearing, from conus cone + -fer

First Known Use

circa 1841, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

conifer

noun

con·​i·​fer

ˈkän-ə-fər,

 also  ˈkō-nə-

: any of an order of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs having leaves resembling needles or scales in shape and including forms (as pines) with true cones