Definition of 'fir'

Word Frequency

fir

(fɜːʳ )

Word forms: plural firs

variable noun

A fir or a fir tree is a tall evergreen tree that has thin needle-like leaves.

Image of
fir

fir in British English

(fɜː )

noun

any pyramidal coniferous tree of the N temperate genus Abies, having single needle-like leaves and erect cones: family Pinaceae

See also red fir, silver fir, balsam fir

any of various other trees of the family Pinaceae, such as the Douglas fir

the wood of any of these trees

Word origin

Old English furh; related to Old Norse fura, Old High German foraha fir, Latin quercus oak

Word Frequency

fir in American English 1

(fɜr )

noun

any of a genus (Abies) of cone-bearing evergreen trees of the pine family, having flattened needles and upright cones whose scales fall off at maturity

any of various other coniferous trees, as the Douglas fir

the wood of any of these trees

Derived forms

firry (ˈfirry)

adjective

Word origin

ME firre < OE fyrh, akin to Ger föhre < IE base *perkwus, name of the tree, oak > L quercus, oak

Word Frequency

fir in American English 2

firkin

Word Frequency

fir in American English

(fɜːr)

noun

any coniferous tree belonging to the genus Abies, of the pine family, characterized by its pyramidal style of growth, flat needles, and erect cones

the wood of such a tree

Word origin

[1250–1300; ME firre, OE fyrh; c. OS furie; akin to OE furh- (in fuhrwudu pine), ON fura fir, L quercus oak (‹ *perkwu-)]

Examples of 'fir' in a sentence
fir

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Wire together dried fruit and fir cones and use to fill any gaps.You cannot therefore simply complain that the fir tree blocks the light to your garden or patio.We stare through the drizzle at a scarred fir tree.The fir trees of the mobile forest lay flattened and scorched.It was a frosty night and fir trees sparkled with a dusting of snow. Holly or branches from fir trees work best but any greenery will do.He had seen the dark shapes of the fir trees only a moment or so before hitting them.People who live near a fir wood can sometimes hear a weird cooing coming from it in the middle of the night.We bounced between fir trees, then burst out on to the shores of a lake.The darling yellow trumpets are thrusting up in fir and birch woods across Scotland for our delight.

Word lists with
fir

tree, wood

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

Score: 0 / 5

Which tree am I?

any coniferous tree of the N temperate genus Cupressus, having dark green scalelike leaves and rounded cones: family Cupressaceae

cypress fir yew

Which tree am I?

a small Australian acacia tree, A. mearnsii, with yellow flowers

black wattle blackwood ylang-ylang

Which tree am I?

an Australian casuarina tree, Casuarina cristata, yielding a useful timber

belah blackwood coachwood

Which tree am I?

a small tree, Erythrina verspertilio, of tropical and subtropical Australia with red flowers and leaves shaped like the wings of a bat

acacia bat's wing coral-tree yucca

Which tree am I?

a North American pyramidal coniferous tree, Pseudotsuga menziesii, widely planted for ornament and for timber, having needle-like leaves and hanging cones: family Pinaceae

Douglas fir fir spruce

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