Meaning & use
evergreen tree
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Meaning
nouncountable
A tree that keeps its leaves or needles throughout the year instead of losing them in autumn.
Grammar: Countable: say 'an evergreen tree' or 'evergreen trees'.
Patterns
- an evergreen tree
- evergreen trees
- plant an evergreen tree
Pine and spruce are common evergreen trees in cold climates.
We planted an evergreen tree near the fence so the garden would look green in winter.
The forest is mostly evergreen trees, which stay dark green all year.
Word forms
| plural | evergreen trees |
|---|
Common combinations
- evergreen tree species
- The park lists the evergreen tree species found along the trail.
- plant an evergreen tree
- They decided to plant an evergreen tree for shade in summer and color in winter.
- tall evergreen tree
- A tall evergreen tree blocked the view from our window.
- evergreen tree farm
- Many families visit the evergreen tree farm to cut their own Christmas tree.
Synonyms and how they differ
- conifer
- A technical term for trees that usually have cones and needles; most conifers are evergreen, but not all evergreens are conifers.
- pine
- A specific type of evergreen tree with needles; it is narrower than 'evergreen tree'.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: evergreen tree or deciduous tree?
evergreen tree vs deciduous tree
A deciduous tree loses its leaves in autumn, while an evergreen tree keeps them; the two are opposites.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'evergreen tree' correctly?
Choose one answer.
An evergreen tree keeps its foliage all year and is often used as a holiday tree. Options An and D describe deciduous plants, and C confuses a tree with a flower.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “evergreen tree”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.