juniper

From Late Middle English junyper, juniperus, from Latin iūniperus (“juniper-tree”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒunɪpə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒunɪpɚ/,
• Hyphenation: ju‧ni‧per

juniper (countable and uncountable, plural junipers)

1. Any shrub or tree of the genus Juniperus of the cypress family, which is characterized by pointed, needle-like leaves and aromatic berry-like cones.
   • 1895, J W Powell, chapter I, in Canyons of the Colorado, Meadville, PA: Flood & Vincent; republished as The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, New York: Dover, 1961, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 22:

     On the mountains a few junipers and piñons are found, and cactuses, agave, and yuccas, low, fleshy plants with bayonets and thorns.

   • 1940, Rosetta E. Clarkson, Green Enchantments: The Magic Spell of Gardens, The Macmillan Company, page 273:

     Have a tree or two the witches particularly like, such as the alder, larch, cypress and hemlock; then, to counteract any possible evil effects, there must be a holly, yew, hazel, elder, mountain ash or juniper.

   • 1962, Simone de Beauvoir, translated by Peter Green, The Prime of Life, Cleveland, OH: The World Publishing Company, translation of La Force de l'âge, →OCLC, page 77:

     Sometimes I lost track of them and had to hunt round in a circle, thrusting through sharp-scented bushes, scratching myself on various plants which were still new to me: resinaceous rock-roses, juniper [translating genévriers], ilex, yellow and white asphodel.

   • 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 2, in Internal Combustion, →OL:

     One typical Grecian kiln engorged one thousand muleloads of juniper wood in a single burn. Fifty such kilns would devour six thousand metric tons of trees and brush annually.

2. One of a number of coniferous trees which resemble junipers.
3. (UK, slang, archaic) Gin.
   • 1834, Young Hearts: A Novel by a Recluse. With a Preface by Miss Jane Porter, page 106:

     […] I said you didn't like them ere strong liquors, but if he warn't particular, I was sure you would pledge him in a glass of juniper, for I had always made you, since we had been man and vife, take a drop afore you went to market, to keep cold out.

• Juniperites

• juniper on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

juniper

1. Alternative form of junyper