dogwood

noun

dog·​wood ˈdȯg-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce dogwood (audio)
: any of various trees and shrubs (genus Cornus of the family Cornaceae, the dogwood family) with clusters of small flowers and often large white, pink, or red involucral bracts

Examples of dogwood in a Sentence

The furniture is made of dogwood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As a result, brands get creative with their marketing, leaning on green-and-yellow color palettes, floral tributes to Augusta’s famous azaleas and dogwoods, and even nods to the tournament’s legendary concession stand offerings. — Mike Dojc, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025 Depending on your hardiness zone, shrubs and trees like forsythia, azaleas, camellias, redbuds, cherries, plums, dogwoods, and star magnolias are also putting on a show in gardens. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2025 Daniel: That is, bees that collect pollen from a narrow range of plants—goldenrods, say, or dogwoods or ground cherries. — Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025 In 1934, a two-story Colonial surrounded by a white picket fence and dogwood trees appeared just south of Grand Central Terminal, in Manhattan. — Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dogwood

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dogwood was in 1598

Phrases Containing dogwood

Rhymes for dogwood

See All Rhymes for dogwood

Browse Nearby Words

dog whistle
dogwood
dogwood borer
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Cite this Entry

“Dogwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dogwood. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

dogwood

noun
dog·​wood ˈdȯg-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce dogwood (audio)
: any of various trees and shrubs having clusters of small flowers often surrounded by four showy leaves that look like petals

Medical Definition

dogwood

noun
dog·​wood ˈdȯ-ˌgwu̇d How to pronounce dogwood (audio)
: any tree or shrub of the genus Cornus

More from Merriam-Webster on dogwood

Nglish: Translation of dogwood for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dogwood

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