conifer
noun
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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
Ars Technica, 28 Feb. 2025
Where conifers grow along the coasts, even seashells sometimes get blown into the goop.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025
This compact conifer grows to 3 feet tall and has a round shape and feathery foliage that mixes well with larger-leafed plants.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Feb. 2025
The rabbit is only found in the conifer forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur in Mexico.
—John Yoo and John Shu, Newsweek, 23 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Conifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conifer. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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