red cedar

noun

Also called eastern red cedar, an American, coniferous tree, Juniperus virginiana, yielding a fragrant, reddish wood used for making lead pencils, etc.
the western red cedar, Thuja plicata.
the wood of these trees.

red cedar

any of several North American coniferous trees, esp Juniperus virginiana , a juniper that has fragrant reddish wood used for making pencils, and Thuja plicata , an arbor vitae
the wood of any of these trees

An Americanism dating back to 1675–85

The tops of all the hills—dry, barren ridges they were—were covered with a thick grove of the red cedar.

The poles are of large size, and stand eighty to the mile, more than half of red cedar, the remainder mostly pine.

On the lower slopes Douglas spruce and Western hemlock predominate, with red cedar along the streams.

Red Cedar had been surprised by the hunters at midnight, and his camp was at once fired by the assailants.

Stanapat and Red Cedar understood this, and hence redoubled their efforts to crush the enemy.

Browse