'cedar-scented' originates from Modern English, formed as a compound of 'cedar' + 'scented', where 'cedar' ultimately comes from Latin/Greek for the cedar tree and 'scented' is the past-participle adjective based on 'scent'.

'cedar' comes from Greek 'kedros' through Latin 'cedrus' and later Old French into Middle/Modern English; 'scented' derives from the noun 'scent' (from Old French and Latin 'sentire' meaning 'to perceive'), and the compound 'cedar-scented' is a relatively recent Modern English formation combining the noun and the past-participle adjective.

Initially the components referred specifically to the tree ('cedar') and the idea of smell ('scent'), and the compound's meaning — 'having the smell of cedar' — is a straightforward, retained combination of those senses.