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fir

fir

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

fir any tree of the genus Abies of the family Pinaceae ( pine family), tall pyramidal evergreen conifers characterized by short, flat, stemless needles and erect cylindrical cones that shed their scales rather than dropping off the tree whole. Firs, valued and cultivated for their fragrance and beauty, are found chiefly in alpine regions of the Northern Hemisphere. In North America the balsam fir, or balsam, popular as a Christmas tree and the source of Canada balsam , is native to the Northeast; the Fraser fir, or she-balsam, grows in the Alleghenies and is used as a Christmas tree; and the noble, alpine, and red firs are found at high altitudes and the grand, silver, and white firs on lower mountain slopes in the Northwest. Fir wood is usually light and soft but is sometimes used for interior finishing and for crates and boxes. The Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii, is not a true fir (see pine ). Firs are classified in the division Pinophyta , class Pinopsida, order Coniferales.

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fir

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

fir Any of a number of evergreen trees of the pine family, native to alpine regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The pyramid-shaped trees are prized for their beauty and fragrance. They have flat needles and cylindrical cones that shed their scales when mature. The North American balsam fir is the source of Canadian balsam. Height: 15–90m (50–300ft). Family Pinaceae; genus Abies.
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fir

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

fir / fər/ • n. (also fir tree) an evergreen coniferous tree (genus Abies, family Pinaceae) with upright cones and flat needle-shaped leaves, an important source of timber and resins. DERIVATIVES: fir·ry adj.

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Fir

A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology | 2004 | | Copyright

Fir, Fir- [OIr., men; husbands]. The separable prefix Fir- is a part of the names of many groups in early Irish tradition, and is thus alphabetized here word by word. Cf. the singular Fer [Ir., man]. Distinguish from fir [true, veracious].
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JAMES MacKILLOP. "Fir." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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fir

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

fir XIV. prob. — ON. fyri- (in fyriskógr fir-wood, etc.) :- Gmc. *furχjōn, f. *furχō, whence OE. furh(wudu) fir-wood, OHG. forha (G. föhre), ON. fura; cf. L. quercus (:- *perkus) oak.
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T. F. HOAD. "fir." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "fir." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fir.html

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fir

A Dictionary of Plant Sciences | 1998 | | Copyright

fir
1. (Douglas fir) See PSEUDOTSUGA.

2. (hemlock fir) See TSUGA.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "fir." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "fir." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-fir.html

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fir

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

fir •à deux, agent provocateur, astir, auteur, aver, bestir, blur, bon viveur, burr, Chandigarh, coiffeur, concur, confer, connoisseur, cordon-bleu, cri de cœur, cur, danseur, Darfur, defer, demur, de rigueur, deter, entrepreneur, er, err, farceur, faute de mieux, fir, flâneur, Fleur, force majeure, fur, hauteur, her, infer, inter, jongleur, Kerr, littérateur, longueur, masseur, Monseigneur, monsieur, Montesquieu, Montreux, murre, myrrh, occur, pas de deux, Pasteur, per, pisteur, poseur, pot-au-feu, prefer, prie-dieu, pudeur, purr, raconteur, rapporteur, refer, répétiteur, restaurateur, saboteur, sabreur, seigneur, Sher, shirr, sir, skirr, slur, souteneur, spur, stir, tant mieux, transfer, Ur, vieux jeu, voyageur, voyeur, were, whirr

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Douglas fir: a pine, not a true fir.(Wood of the Month)
Magazine article from: Wood &amp; Wood Products; 8/1/1995
Fir trees: these dependable evergreens add a note of classic elegance. (Plant...
Magazine article from: Country Living Gardener; 11/1/2002
Majestic Douglas fir the leader in plywood.
Magazine article from: Wood &amp; Wood Products; 7/1/1999

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