conifer
noun
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Any of an order of trees and shrubs, conifers usually have usually needle-shaped or scale-like leaves. Conifers include forms (such as pines) with true cones and others (such as yews) that bear a fruit. There are more than 550 species of conifers, and most are evergreen trees and shrubs. They grow throughout the world (except in Antarctica) and prefer temperate climate zones. They include the world's smallest and tallest trees. Conifers supply softwood timber used for general construction, boxes and crates, and other articles, as well as pulpwood for paper. The wood is also used as fuel and in the manufacture of cellulose products, plywood, and veneers. The trees are the source of resins, oils, turpentine, tars, and pharmaceuticals.
Examples of conifer in a Sentence
Chantelle Kincy, Travel + Leisure, 14 Oct. 2025
This zone is characterized by deciduous trees such as dogwood, alder, and aspen surrounded by conifer forest.
—Worth Matthewson, Outdoor Life, 2 Oct. 2025
In the winter, the dwarf conifers will be the star of the show.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2025
Sawflies are ravenous insects that feed on a wide variety of landscape trees, shrubs, and conifers.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Conifer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conifer. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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