sugar pine

noun

plural sugar pines
: a very tall pine (Pinus lambertiana) found from Oregon to Baja California and having needles in clusters of five, cones up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) long, and soft reddish-brown wood
also : its wood

Examples of sugar pine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These seats are open to the elements, allowing guests to hear the train whistle loud and clear and smell the heady scent of sugar pines during the ride. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 7 Aug. 2026 Trees like the ponderosa pine and sugar pine evolved with fire. — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 3 July 2026 Sandy was spotted later in the day perching on top of a sugar pine tree. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2026 Similarly, pines native to California’s Sierra Mountains, such as Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), notable for cones that can reach 20 inches in length, and Jeffrey pine (Pinus Jeffreyi), will struggle to grow in Southern California. — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sugar pine

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sugar pine was in 1846

Rhymes for sugar pine

See All Rhymes for sugar pine

Browse Nearby Words

sugar pill
sugar pine
sugarplum
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sugar pine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sugar%20pine. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sugar pine

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about sugar pine

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