coniferous
/kəˈnɪfərəs/ (bre, ipa) · /kəˈnɪfərəs/ (ame, ipa) · /kō-ˈni-f(ə-)rəs kə-/ (ame, mw)
coniferous — adjective
- coniferouspositive
- more coniferouscomparative
- most coniferoussuperlative
1. describing trees or shrubs that produce woody cones as seed containers and keep
describing trees or shrubs that produce woody cones as seed containers and keep their narrow, needle-like leaves all year round; examples include pine, fir, spruce, and cedar.
The trail wound through a dense grove of tall coniferous trees that blocked out most of the sunlight.
collocation: coniferous trees
Vikram pointed to the coniferous sapling he had planted last spring, its needles already a rich dark green.
collocation: coniferous sapling
Unlike deciduous trees, coniferous species do not lose all their leaves at once when autumn arrives.
The biology students learned to identify local coniferous species by examining the shape and size of each tree's cones.
Coniferous branches are often cut for winter wreaths because the needles stay green for many weeks after being removed from the tree.
- evergreen
broader in scope — includes non-cone-bearing trees and shrubs such as holly and rhododendron that also keep leaves year-round
- cone-bearing
more literal and less common in everyday use; describes the seed structure rather than the leaf type
- deciduous
describes trees that shed all leaves at the end of the growing season, such as oak, maple, and birch
文法句型
coniferous + noun
用法筆記
Functions as a classifying (non-gradable) adjective in botanical descriptions. Do not use comparative forms such as *more coniferous* or *most coniferous* with this sense — a tree either belongs to this group or it does not.
常見錯誤
2. describing a large area of land, especially a forest or woodland, where most of
describing a large area of land, especially a forest or woodland, where most of the trees are of the cone-bearing, evergreen type.
Northern Canada contains vast stretches of coniferous forest that stay covered in snow for half the year.
collocation: coniferous forest
The research team set up their camp at the edge of a coniferous woodland near the mountain range.
collocation: coniferous woodland
Coniferous forests provide an important habitat for animals such as owls, deer, and woodpeckers.
Dewi wrote her geography report on the differences between coniferous and tropical rainforest ecosystems.
Luis could smell the sharp, clean scent of the coniferous woods long before he reached the treeline.
文法句型
coniferous + noun
用法筆記
Most commonly used in geographical and ecological descriptions of boreal (northern) or mountainous regions. The related noun 'taiga' refers specifically to the northern coniferous forest biome but is rarer in everyday language.