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 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To create the perch, attach an 18-inch two-by-two pine or redwood block. Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 6 July 2026 The tallest trees in the world, redwoods have grown in the region for at least 20 million years. Eric Noll, ABC News, 4 July 2026 Towering redwoods crowd the ridgelines; the valley floor unrolls in a patchwork of vineyards, apple orchards and small farming towns. Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 Engineers always knew the cliffs were unstable Last Chance Grade was first built as a wagon trail through the dense redwood forest in 1894. Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for redwood

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

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Cite this Entry

“Redwood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redwood. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

: 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

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