cedar (redirected from western red cedars)

cedar, common name for a number of trees, mostly coniferous evergreens. The true cedars belong to the small genus Cedrus of the family Pinaceae (pine family). All are native to the Old World from the Mediterranean to the Himalayas, although several are cultivated elsewhere as ornamentals, especially the cedar of Lebanon (C. libani), which appears in the Lebanese flag. This tree, native to Asia Minor and North Africa, is famous for the historic groves of the Lebanon Mts., frequently mentioned in the Bible. The wood used in building the Temple and the house of Solomon (1 Kings 5, 6, and 7) may, however, have been that of the deodar cedar (C. deodara), native to the Himalayas. It has fragrant wood, durable and fine grained, and is venerated by the Hindus, who call it Tree of God. The name cedar is used (particularly in North America, where no cedars are native) for other conifers, e.g., the juniper (red cedar), arborvitae (white cedar), and others of the family Cupressaceae (cypress family). Several tropical American trees of the genus Cedrela of the mahogany family are also called cedars. True cedars are classified in the division Pinophyta, class Pinopsida, order Coniferales, family Pinaceae.

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cedar

Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani)

(credit: G.E. Hyde—Natural History Photographic Agency/EB Inc.)

Any of four species of tall ornamental and timber evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Cedrus, in the pine family. Three cedars are native to mountainous areas of the Mediterranean region and one to the western Himalayas. These “true” cedars are the Atlas cedar (C. atlantica), the Cyprus cedar (C. brevifolia), the deodar (C. deodara), and the cedar of Lebanon (C. libani). Cedarwood is light, soft, resinous, and durable, even when in contact with soil or moisture. Many other conifers known as cedars resemble true cedars in being evergreen and in having aromatic, often red or red-tinged wood that in many cases is decay-resistant and insect-repellent. The giant arborvitae, incense cedar, and some junipers (red cedar) provide the familiar “cedarwood” of pencils, chests, closet linings, and fence posts. See also white cedar.

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cedar

1. any Old World coniferous tree of the genus Cedrus, having spreading branches, needle-like evergreen leaves, and erect barrel-shaped cones: family Pinaceae See also cedar of Lebanon deodar

2. any of various other conifers, such as the red cedars and white cedars

3. the wood of any of these trees

4. any of certain other plants, such as the Spanish cedar

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cedar [′sē·dər]

(botany)

The common name for a large number of evergreen trees in the order Pinales having fragrant, durable wood.

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cedar

symbol of everlasting life. [Western Folklore: Jobes, 301]

See : Immortality

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Cedar - A superset of Mesa, from Xerox PARC, adding garbage collection, dynamic types and a universal pointer type (REF ANY). Cedar is a large complex language designed for custom Xerox hardware and the Cedar operating system/environment. Data types are atoms, lists, ropes ("industrial strength" strings), conditions. Multi-processing features include threads, monitors, signals and catch phrases. It was used to develop the Cedar integrated programming environment. ["A Description of the Cedar Language", Butler Lampson, Xerox PARC, CSL-83-15 (Dec 1983)]. ["The Structure of Cedar", D. Swinehart et al, SIGPLAN Notices 20(7):230-244 (July 1985)].