redwood

noun

red·​wood ˈred-ˌwu̇d 

1

: any of various woods (such as brazilwood) yielding a red dye

2

: a tree that yields a red dyewood or produces red or reddish wood

3

a

: a very tall coniferous tree (Sequoia sempervirens) of the cypress family that grows chiefly in coastal California, sometimes reaches a height of 360 feet (110 meters), and is a commercially important timber tree

called also coast redwood

see cone illustration compare dawn redwood

b

: its brownish-red durable wood

Examples of redwood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the giant redwood and oak trees that surround it, a family of acorn woodpeckers make their nests. —Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

During their courtship, the watercolor projections at the back of Beowulf Boritt’s set, which is dominated by a wedding-cake-like rendering of Delia’s apartment, display a split between Northern California redwoods and a city skyline straight off a New Yorker cover. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024

On a spring morning in 2002, the Sierra Club’s leaders gathered at the historic Ralston White Retreat, tucked between towering redwood trees on the side of Mount Tamalpais, high above the San Francisco Bay. —Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024

Perched atop a ridge amid a roughly half-acre parcel of land, the stone, glass, and redwood structure is tucked away behind gates and high hedges and fronted by a spacious motorcourt with room for up to nine vehicles. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing redwood

• coast redwood
• dawn redwood

Kids Definition

redwood

noun

red·​wood ˈred-ˌwu̇d 

: a tall cone-producing evergreen tree mostly of coastal California that is related to the bald cypresses and sometimes grows to be 360 feet (110 meters) tall

also : its light long-lasting brownish red wood