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fir
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." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "fir." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-fir.html "fir." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-fir.html |
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fir
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." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "fir." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-fir.html "fir." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-fir.html |
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fir
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." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "fir." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-fir.html "fir." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-fir.html |
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Fir
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. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES MacKILLOP. "Fir." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Fir.html JAMES MacKILLOP. "Fir." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O70-Fir.html |
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fir
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. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "fir." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fir.html T. F. HOAD. "fir." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-fir.html |
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fir
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "fir." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "fir." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-fir.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "fir." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-fir.html |
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fir
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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"fir." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "fir." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-fir.html "fir." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-fir.html |
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