white-cedar
|white-cee-dar|
🇺🇸
/ˌwaɪt ˈsiːdər/
🇬🇧
/ˌwaɪt ˈsiːdə/
pale, cedar-like tree
Etymology
'white-cedar' originates from Modern English as a compound of the adjective 'white' and the noun 'cedar'; 'cedar' itself comes into English via Old French 'cedre' from Latin 'cedrus', ultimately from Greek 'kedros'.
'cedar' passed from Greek 'kedros' into Latin as 'cedrus', then into Old French as 'cedre' and entered Middle English before becoming English 'cedar'; 'white' comes from Old English 'hwīt'. The compound 'white-cedar' developed in modern English usage to name pale, cedar-like trees in various regions.
Originally 'cedar' referred specifically to trees of the genus Cedrus (true cedars); over time the name broadened in English to include several aromatic, cedar-like trees (e.g., Thuja, Chamaecyparis), so 'white-cedar' now denotes different pale, cedar-like species rather than only true Cedrus.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a common name for certain North American conifers in the genus Thuja (especially Thuja occidentalis), a small to medium evergreen tree with scale-like leaves and soft, pale wood; also called northern white-cedar or arborvitae.
The wind bent the branches of the white-cedar lining the lake.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a common name for the Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides), a swamp and coastal conifer noted for its pale, rot-resistant wood.
Boat builders often sought out Atlantic white-cedar for its rot-resistant timber.
Synonyms
Noun 3
a general term used for various pale, aromatic, cedar-like trees (or their wood) used locally as 'cedar' though not true Cedrus species.
Local craftsmen called several different species 'white-cedar' when selecting timber for chests and shingles.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/04 23:07