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conifer

  (kŏn'ə-fər, kō'nə-) pronunciation
n.

Any of various mostly needle-leaved or scale-leaved, chiefly evergreen, cone-bearing gymnospermous trees or shrubs such as pines, spruces, and firs.

[From New Latin Cōniferae, family name, from Latin, feminine pl. of cōnifer, cone-bearing : cōnus, cone (from Greek kōnos) + -fer, -fer.]

coniferous co·nif'er·ous (kō-nĭf'ər-əs, kə-) adj.
 
 

Any member of the order Coniferales, woody plants that bear their seeds and pollen on separate, cone-shaped structures. They constitute the largest division of gymnosperms, with more than 550 species. Most are evergreen, upright trees and shrubs. They grow throughout the world (except in Antarctica) and prefer temperate climate zones. Conifers include the pines (Pinus), junipers (Juniperus), spruces (Picea), hemlocks (Tsuga), firs (Abies), larches (Larix), yews (Taxus), cypresses (Cupressus), bald cypress cypresses (Taxodium), Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga), arborvitaes (Thuja), and related groups. They include the world's smallest and tallest trees. Conifers supply softwood timber used for general construction, mine timbers, fence posts, poles, 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, volatile oils, turpentine, tars, and pharmaceuticals. Conifer leaves vary in shape but generally have a reduced surface area to minimize water loss. Especially in the pines, firs, and spruces, the leaves are long and stiff and are commonly referred to as needles. Cypresses, cedars, and others have smaller, scalelike leaves. Conifers were the dominant type of vegetation just before the advent of angiosperms (see flowering plant).

For more information on conifer, visit Britannica.com.

 
Architecture: conifer

A cone-bearing tree or shrub of the gymnospermous order; a softwood which includes cypress, firs, pines, and spruce.


 
(kŏn'ĭfûr) [Lat.,=cone-bearing], tree or shrub of the order Coniferales, e.g., the pine, monkey-puzzle tree, cypress, and sequoia. Most conifers bear cones and most are evergreens, though a few, such as the larch, are deciduous. Conifers are widely distributed over the world but are mostly found in the highlands of temperate regions. The conifers, the ginkgoes, and the cycads comprise the three most important groups of gymnosperms, i.e., plants without true flowers. Conifers are classified in the division Pinophyta, class Pinopsida.


 

A tree or shrub, often evergreen, usually with needlelike leaves, such as pine, spruce, or hemlock. A few conifers, including bald cypress, larch, and dawn redwood, have needlelike leaves but are deciduous. Another exception is the ginkgo, which has deciduous leaves that are fan shaped, not needlelike. Most conifers bear seeds in woody cones, but junipers, yews, plum yews, and ginkgoes have seeds with fleshy coats. See also gymnosperms.

 
Word Tutor: conifer
pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Trees and shrubs that produce cones, such as pines.

pronunciation The forest was filled with many conifers.

Tutor's tip: We had to "confer" (to consult) with a tree specialist about the health of the "conifer" (an evergreen).

 
Translations: Translations for: Conifer

Dansk (Danish)
n. - nåletræ

Nederlands (Dutch)
naaldboom, conifeer

Français (French)
n. - conifère

Deutsch (German)
n. - Nadelbaum, Konifere

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυτολ.) κωνοφόρο (φυτό)

Italiano (Italian)
conifera

Português (Portuguese)
n. - conífera (f) (Bot.)

Русский (Russian)
хвойное дерево

Español (Spanish)
n. - conífera

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - barrträd

中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
针叶树, 松柏科植物

中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 針葉樹, 松柏科植物

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 구과 식물, 침엽수

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 球果植物, 針葉樹

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) نوع من الشجر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אצטרובל, עץ מחט‬


 
 

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Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/  Read more
Gardener's Dictionary. Taylor's Dictionary for Gardeners, by Frances Tenenbaum. Copyright © 1997 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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