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?

a small Asian citrus tree, Citrus aurantifolia, with stiff sharp spines and small round or oval greenish fruits

lemon lime Scots pine

Which tree am I?

any of several tropical and subtropical herbaceous treelike plants of the musaceous genus Musa, esp M. sapientum, a widely cultivated species propagated from suckers and having hanging clusters of edible fruit

banana silky oak yucca

Which tree am I?

a Eurasian maple tree, Acer pseudoplatanus, naturalized in Britain and North America, having five-lobed leaves, yellow flowers, and two-winged fruits

sycamore walnut witch elm

Which tree am I?

any tropical shrub or tree of the leguminous genus Mimosa, having ball-like clusters of yellow or pink flowers and compound leaves that are often sensitive to touch or light

acacia laburnum mimosa

Which tree am I?

a small myrtaceous tree or shrub, Melaleuca leucadendron, native to the East Indies and Australia, with whitish flowers and leaves

Antarctic beech bat's wing coral-tree cajuput

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