dogwood

noun

dog·​wood ˈdȯg-ˌwu̇d 

: any of various trees and shrubs (genus Cornus of the family Cornaceae, the dogwood family) with clusters of small flowers and often large white, pink, or red involucral bracts

Examples of dogwood in a Sentence

The furniture is made of dogwood.

Recent Examples on the Web

Daniel: That is, bees that collect pollen from a narrow range of plants—goldenrods, say, or dogwoods or ground cherries. —Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Mar. 2025

In 1934, a two-story Colonial surrounded by a white picket fence and dogwood trees appeared just south of Grand Central Terminal, in Manhattan. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025

Evergreens welcomes visitors for stargazing, and arborists lead tours among its dogwood, sweet gum and European weeping beech trees. —Maria Cramer, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025

Located on Lookout Mountain, one of the best times to visit Mentone is during fall when native poplars, dogwoods, maples, and hickories begin to turn, creating a bold patchwork of red, orange, yellow, across the mountainside. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 15 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing dogwood

• flowering dogwood

Rhymes for dogwood

• allgood
• basswood
• beechwood
• bellwood
• birchwood
• boxwood
• boyhood
• brushwood
• childhood
• cordwood
• driftwood
• falsehood

Kids Definition

dogwood

noun

dog·​wood ˈdȯg-ˌwu̇d 

: any of various trees and shrubs having clusters of small flowers often surrounded by four showy leaves that look like petals

Medical Definition

dogwood

noun

dog·​wood ˈdȯ-ˌgwu̇d 

: any tree or shrub of the genus Cornus