Alaska cedar

noun

variants or less commonly Alaska yellow cedar or Alaska cypress
1
: a tall, slow-growing evergreen tree (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis synonym Xanthocyparis nootkatensis synonym Cupressus nootkatensis) of the Pacific coast of North America that has reddish to grayish-brown bark and scalelike leaves and is often cultivated for ornament
2
: the hard, durable, yellowish wood of the Alaska cedar

called also Nootka cypress, sitka cypress, yellow cedar

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Alaska cedar was in 1874

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Cite this Entry

“Alaska cedar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Alaska%20cedar. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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