Cedar

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsiː.də/

Definitions

1. A coniferous tree with fragrant, durable reddish-brown wood used in furniture and closets, or the wood itself harvested from such trees
2. A tall evergreen tree that produces a distinctive fragrant wood valued for its resistance to decay and insects
3. An evergreen tree that yields strongly scented timber widely used in construction and crafts for its durability

Etymology: The Greek "kédros" named a tree that the Greeks knew from the eastern Mediterranean, and the same word was later adopted by Latin as "cedrus". The English word arrived through Old French "cedre" and entered Middle English as "cedre", so the tree's name has travelled through three languages before it reached English speakers. A curious twist is that the same Greek root gave English "citrus". Greek "kédros" was applied to the citron, a fragrant fruit tree that Romans associated with the cedar's resin-scented wood, and Latin "citrus" came from that usage. The two words are therefore doublets, separate English words descended from one ancient source. English also had its own word for a tree of this kind, Old English "ċeder", but the two names are not clearly linked, since there is a long gap in the written record between them. The Middle English form is therefore best understood as coming from the Mediterranean borrowing rather than from the older English name.

Synonyms: arborvitae, juniper, pine