co ‧ ni ‧ fer /ˈkəʊnəfə, ˈkəʊnɪfə, ˈkɒ- $ ˈkɑːnəfər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: 'carrying a cone' , from conus ; ⇨ ↑ cone ]
a tree such as a ↑ pine or ↑ fir that has leaves like needles and produces brown ↑ cone s that contain seeds. Most types of conifer keep their leaves in winter.
—coniferous /kəˈnɪf ə rəs $ koʊ-, kə-/ adjective :
coniferous forests
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THESAURUS
■ types of tree
▪ evergreen adjective an evergreen tree does not lose its leaves in winter:
English ivy is evergreen and grows even during the winter.
▪ deciduous adjective a deciduous tree loses its leaves in winter:
The oak is deciduous, but loses its leaves late in the year.
▪ conifer noun [countable] a tree such as a pine or fir that has leaves like needles and produces cones containing seeds:
The owners have planted conifers along the fence in order to reduce the traffic noise.
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a dwarf conifer
▪ fruit tree noun [countable] a tree that produces fruit that can be eaten:
Fruit trees such as apples and pears can be pruned during the winter months.
▪ sapling noun [countable] a young tree:
It's best to buy young saplings rather than fully-grown trees.