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Definition of incense cedar
incense cedar
Plural:incense cedars
• noun
1
A large, aromatic coniferous tree (genus Calocedrus, family Cupressaceae) native primarily to western North America and parts of eastern Asia, characterized by its reddish-brown bark, flattened sprays of scale-like leaves, and soft wood.
Example
"The pungent, aromatic wood of the incense cedar makes it the preferred timber for manufacturing wooden pencils worldwide."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for incense cedarWord Nuance & Usage
Despite its common name, the incense cedar is not a true cedar (genus Cedrus), but rather a member of the cypress family (Cupressaceae).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Incense cedar. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/incense-cedar