cedar

noun

ce·​dar ˈsē-dər How to pronounce cedar (audio)
1
a
: any of a genus (Cedrus) of usually tall coniferous trees (such as the cedar of Lebanon or the deodar) of the pine family noted for their fragrant durable wood
b
: any of numerous coniferous trees (as of the genera Juniperus, Chamaecyparis, or Thuja of the cypress family) that resemble the true cedars especially in the fragrance and durability of their wood
2
: the wood of a cedar
cedary
ˈsē-dər-ē How to pronounce cedar (audio)
-də-rē
adjective

Examples of cedar in a Sentence

a chair made of cedar
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.
Designers are now layering materials — combining sections of horizontal cedar fencing with tall, dense plantings like arborvitae or ornamental grasses—to create softer, more organic privacy screens. —Rosehill Gardens, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026 The following year, a controversy arose after the couple was sued by a neighboring couple for installing a solid cedar fence that blocked the neighbors’ views of Lake Michigan. —Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026 Austin is known for its winter cedar fever season, but every season there is some kind of allergen blowing in our wind. —Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026 The spa There's a cedar sauna, perfect for warming up after a hike on the glacier. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cedar

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cedre, cedir, borrowed from Anglo-French cedre, borrowed from Latin cedrus "cedar, juniper," borrowed from Greek kédros, of obscure origin

Note: The word is also attested in Old English as ceder, in translations of the Psalms and in glosses, though there is no continuity with Middle English use. The Greek word is undoubtedly related to Latin citrus "the conifer Tetraclinis articulata," though the nature of the relationship is uncertain (see also citrus). The Latin word could have been borrowed from Greek, with -dr- nativized to -tr-, but the vowel change is unexplained. Alternatively, both words could have been borrowed from an unknown language of the Mediterranean. Greek kédros, as well as the Latin loan cedrus, apparently referred both to Cedrus libani, an import to Greece and Rome from the mountains of Lebanon and some areas of Anatolia, and, confusingly, to some species of Juniperus native to Greece. Though the plants are quite distinct, they both produced much-prized aromatic wood. (This issue is discussed at length in Russell Meiggs, Trees and Timber in the Ancient Mediterranean World [Oxford, 1982], pp. 410-16.) As noted above, Latin citrus, on the other hand, denoted a completely different tree, Tetraclinis articulata, that was native to mountains of North Africa; the Greek name for this tree was apparently thýon or thýa (see thuja), though if this identification is correct, the occurrence of the word in the Odyssey (5.60) is surprising (see Meiggs, op. cit., p. 114, 287). Greek kédros has been compared to Latvian cedriņš "heath (Erica sp.)" and Lithuanian kadagỹs "juniper," though these are distant in either sense or form.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cedar was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing cedar

Rhymes for cedar

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Browse Nearby Words

cedant arma togae
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Cedar
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Cite this Entry

“Cedar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cedar. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cedar

noun
ce·​dar ˈsēd-ər How to pronounce cedar (audio)
1
a
: any of a genus of usually tall trees related to the pines and noted for their fragrant durable wood
b
: any of numerous cone-bearing trees (as some junipers) resembling the true cedars especially in having fragrant long-lasting wood
2
: the wood of a cedar

Geographical Definition

Cedar

geographical name

Ce·​dar ˈsē-dər How to pronounce Cedar (audio)
river 329 miles (529 kilometers) long in southeastern Minnesota and eastern Iowa flowing southeast into the Iowa River

More from Merriam-Webster on cedar

Nglish: Translation of cedar for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cedar

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