redwood

noun

red·​wood ˈred-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce redwood (audio)
1
: any of various woods (such as brazilwood) yielding a red dye
2
: a tree that yields a red dyewood or produces red or reddish wood
3
a
: a very tall coniferous tree (Sequoia sempervirens) of the bald cypress family that grows chiefly in coastal California, sometimes reaches a height of 360 feet (110 meters), and is a commercially important timber tree

called also coast redwood

see cone illustration compare dawn redwood
b
: its brownish-red durable wood

Examples of redwood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are more giant redwoods in the UK than in California. Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Overlapping state and national parks replete with coastal redwood and sequoia offer more than 38,000 acres of old growth that act as a haven for myriad wildflowers, including trillium, Douglas iris, leopard, Mariposa, and alpine lilies, snowflowers, and spotted coralroot. Krista Simmons and J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 8 Mar. 2024 Skelly disassembled Lenz’s old-growth redwood bird cages and repurposed them into a deck. Jessica Ritz, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Cocking herself used a pass in the early days of the program to visit Hendy Woods, a state park near Anderson Valley that is notable for its majestic old-growth redwood trees. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 Diaz has written a film-like, multi-track score that gives angelic voice to the redwoods. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2024 Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve is a perfect place to get up close to magnificent redwood trees. Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 25 Feb. 2024 Resting amid a secluded cul-de-sac—on a gated, 2.5-acre hilltop parcel that served as a Nike anti-aircraft missile site during the Cold War—the redwood, glass and stone structure contains five bedrooms and eight bathrooms in almost 9,400 square feet of living space. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2024 In Yuba City, 40 miles north of Sacramento, a man was killed when a redwood tree toppled on him in high winds, police said. Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'redwood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of redwood was circa 1533

Dictionary Entries Near redwood

Cite this Entry

“Redwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redwood. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

redwood

noun
red·​wood ˈred-ˌwu̇d How to pronounce redwood (audio)
: a tall cone-producing evergreen tree mostly of coastal California that is related to the bald cypresses and sometimes grows to be 360 feet (110 meters) tall
also : its light long-lasting brownish red wood

More from Merriam-Webster on redwood

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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