often attributive
1
: any of a genus (Pinus of the family Pinaceae, the pine family) of coniferous evergreen trees that have slender elongated needles and include some valuable timber trees and ornamentals
2
: the straight-grained white or yellow usually durable and resinous wood of a pine varying from extreme softness in the white pine to hardness in the longleaf pine
3
: any of various Australian coniferous trees (as of the genera Callitris or Araucaria)
4
5
pined; pining
1
: to lose vigor, health, or flesh (as through grief) : languish
2
: to yearn intensely and persistently especially for something unattainable
they still pined for their lost wealth
Synonyms
Examples of pine in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Adam Elmahrek, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Those seedlings were of no use in the mountainous and coastal West, with its cedars, firs and Ponderosa pines.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
The spears and other tools were carved from spruce, larch, and pine, species that grew many kilometers away from the lake and combined hardness with elasticity.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024
El Tovar cost $250,000 to build and was constructed with local limestone and Oregon pine.
—The Arizona Republic, 30 Mar. 2024
Staying there meant homemade buttermilk pancakes served in the morning, afternoons spent outside under the towering pine trees, and quality time with my precious grandparents.
—Gabriella Maestri, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2024
But pine burns 10 times as hot as the fynbos bush, incinerating seeds and scorching earth so native species can’t recover.
—Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Breaks in the clouds created roving patches of sunlight that lit up the frosty ground and cast long shadows from the towering pine trees.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Read: Eight books that explain the South As King Cotton receded in prominence, the sawmills stepped in, making a big business of felling pines and hardwood trees.
—Imani Perry, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024
And pining wistfully for that special girl waiting at home.
—Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2024
But instead of pining over what could've been, Derulo got to work.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 23 June 2023
As the human workers pine for home, the humanoid workers increasingly pine to be more than what they’ve been programmed to be.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2022
After years of pining, Iaconetti eventually got the guy: the two wed in 2019 and share a son.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 27 June 2023
Cariuma sneakers frequently rack up long waitlists, most recently ringing in at 77,000 customers who were pining to get their hands on the Oca Low style, according to the brand.
—Claire Harmeyer, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2023
Russia is pining to build on its budding relationship with American conservatives—literally.
—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 12 May 2023
Chainsaws and demons, enormously fat dragons, lovelorn video game bosses pining over princesses.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
Noun
Crystal Lake Recreation Area, a camping destination in the San Gabriel Mountains, will be closed April 9-14 while trees are sprayed with a pesticide to protect them from the Western pine beetle, forest officials announced Sunday.
—Adam Elmahrek, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Those seedlings were of no use in the mountainous and coastal West, with its cedars, firs and Ponderosa pines.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
The spears and other tools were carved from spruce, larch, and pine, species that grew many kilometers away from the lake and combined hardness with elasticity.
—Byandrew Curry, science.org, 1 Apr. 2024
El Tovar cost $250,000 to build and was constructed with local limestone and Oregon pine.
—The Arizona Republic, 30 Mar. 2024
Staying there meant homemade buttermilk pancakes served in the morning, afternoons spent outside under the towering pine trees, and quality time with my precious grandparents.
—Gabriella Maestri, Southern Living, 12 Mar. 2024
But pine burns 10 times as hot as the fynbos bush, incinerating seeds and scorching earth so native species can’t recover.
—Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Breaks in the clouds created roving patches of sunlight that lit up the frosty ground and cast long shadows from the towering pine trees.
—Michael Charboneau, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Read: Eight books that explain the South As King Cotton receded in prominence, the sawmills stepped in, making a big business of felling pines and hardwood trees.
—Imani Perry, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
Verb
And fans are either pining to go back to the good old days of amateurism (not going to happen) or rooting for the world to burn so that their favorite school can buy the next star quarterback.
—Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024
And pining wistfully for that special girl waiting at home.
—Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Jan. 2024
But instead of pining over what could've been, Derulo got to work.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 23 June 2023
As the human workers pine for home, the humanoid workers increasingly pine to be more than what they’ve been programmed to be.
—Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 26 Dec. 2022
After years of pining, Iaconetti eventually got the guy: the two wed in 2019 and share a son.
—Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 27 June 2023
Cariuma sneakers frequently rack up long waitlists, most recently ringing in at 77,000 customers who were pining to get their hands on the Oca Low style, according to the brand.
—Claire Harmeyer, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2023
Russia is pining to build on its budding relationship with American conservatives—literally.
—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 12 May 2023
Chainsaws and demons, enormously fat dragons, lovelorn video game bosses pining over princesses.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Pine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pine. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pine
1 of 2 verb
pined; pining
1
: to lose energy, health, or weight through grief, worry, or distress
pine away
2
: to long for very much
pine
2 of 2 noun1
: any of a genus of evergreen trees that have narrow needles for leaves, cones, and wood ranging from very soft to hard and that include valuable timber trees as well as many ornamentals
2
: the white or yellow wood of a pine
piney
adjective
also piny
ˈpī-nē
Medical Definition
pine
1 of 2 noun
: any tree of the genus Pinus
pine
2 of 2 noun
: a dietary deficiency disease of sheep or cattle marked by anemia, malnutrition, and general debility
specifically
: such a disease due to cobalt deficiency compare morton mains disease
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