ponderosa pine

noun

pon·​der·​o·​sa pine ˌpän-də-ˈrō-sə- 

-zə-

: a tall pine (Pinus ponderosa) of western North America with long needles usually in groups of two or three

also : its strong reddish straight-grained wood

Examples of ponderosa pine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The ponderosa pine, a type of yellow pine, lives at elevations typically above 5,000 feet along the Mogollon Rim and other higher elevations in Arizona. —Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 30 Nov. 2024

San Carlos Apache Tribal Chairman Terry Rambler gifted a 40-foot ponderosa pine tree to Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday. —Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 30 Nov. 2024

Don’t forget to stop at Oak Creek Vista at the head of the canyon among the ponderosa pines. —Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Oct. 2024

Suggested alternate main hed for curiosity gap: 5 reasons why this northern Arizona city is the best road trip in Arizona Flagstaff is sometimes called the City in the Pines for its ponderosa pine forests. —Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin ponderosa, specific epithet of Pinus ponderosa, from Latin, feminine of ponderosus ponderous

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ponderosa pine

noun

pon·​der·​o·​sa pine ˌpän-də-ˌrō- sə- 

-zə-

: a tall timber pine of western North America with long needles in groups of 2 or 3

also : its strong reddish straight-grained wood