English French Spanish More dictionaries More

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.

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Image of
fir

© Planner, shutterstock

You may also like

Language Lover's

Language Lover's

French Translation of

French Translation of

Word of the day: blogosphere

Word of the day:

Hindi Translation of

Hindi Translation of

Word Frequency

fir in British English

(fɜː )

noun

1.

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

2.

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

3.

the wood of any of these trees

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

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

1.

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

2.

any of various other coniferous trees, as the Douglas fir

3.

the wood of any of these trees

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

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

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Word Frequency

fir in American English

(fɜːr)

noun

1.

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

2.

the wood of such a tree

Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019 by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

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

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

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.

Show more...

Word lists with
fir

tree, wood

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

-

Score: 0 / 5

Which type of wood am I?

the wood of the citron tree

baywood citron wood hardwood

Which type of wood am I?

the wood of this tree, which is used for building boats, etc

sneezewood western red cedar white cedar

Which type of wood am I?

the light strong wood of any of these trees

hardwood hemlock tupelo

Which type of wood am I?

any of various trees having offensive-smelling wood, esp Ocotea bullata, a southern African lauraceous tree yielding a hard wood used for furniture

stinkwood torchwood yellowwood

Which type of wood am I?

the hard reddish-brown wood of this tree

iroko mahogany red oak

Your score:

Trends of
fir

View usage for:

In other languages
fir

British English: fir /fɜː/ NOUN

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

American English: fir /ˈfɜr/
Brazilian Portuguese: abeto
Chinese: 枞树
European Spanish: abeto
French: sapin
German: Tanne
Italian: abete
Japanese: モミ
Korean: 전나무
European Portuguese: abeto
Latin American Spanish: abeto
Thai: ต้นสน

Translate your text for free

Browse alphabetically
fir

Related terms of
fir

Source

Definition of fir from the Collins English Dictionary

New from Collins

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

-

Score: 0 / 5

bail or bale?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

bale

bail

There was only one of hay left.

driven or drove?

Which version is correct?

We have driven past the place numerous times. We have drove past the place numerous times.

grate or great?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

Grate

Great

250g of cheddar and add to the sauce.

boy or buoy?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

buoy

boy

We moored the boat to an orange .

dew or due?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

due

dew

The results are at the end of the month.

Your score:

Aug 06, 2021

Word of the day

blogosphere

In computer technology , the blogosphere or the blogsphere is all the weblogs on the internet, considered collectively.

SEE FULL DEFINITION

SEE PREVIOUS WORDS

Latest Word Submissions

vaccinology Aug 04, 2021

ecotherapy Aug 02, 2021

force quit Aug 02, 2021

Henriad Aug 02, 2021

View More Submit

A little bird told me… 7 animal idioms

It’s new words time at Collins Dictionary and this month we see the addition of words like fingerling, net zero and emotional support animal. This month, there were a few animal-related additions. Read more

9 new words added to Collins Dictionary

Here are nine words recently added to Collins English Dictionary online. The words we use reflect the preoccupations of our time, and with the possibility of holidays and travel returning to the agenda, the dictionary welcomes ‘capsule hotel’, ‘tourist tax’, and the American informal shortening ‘vacay’ (from ‘vacation’). Read more

New Conversations Day

The twelfth of July marks New Conversations Day. If you haven’t heard of it, don’t fret or feel afflicted by FOMO, for this is the first such day – ever. Read more

Collins English Dictionary Apps

Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android. Read more

Collins Dictionaries for Schools

Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom. Read more

We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots! Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge! Read more

Join the Collins community

All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month. Read more

Scrabble score
for 'fir':
6

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

-

Score: 0 / 5

cymbal or symbol?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

symbol

cymbal

A dove is a of peace.

bloc or block?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

block

bloc

We walked around the three times.

threw or through?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

threw

through

He Brian a rope.

forth or fourth?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

fourth

forth

He ended up in place.

peal or peel?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

peel

peal

Paint was starting to off the walls.

Your score:

Create an account and sign in to access this FREE content

Register now or log in to access