1. [n]  any cedar of the genus Cedrus
2. [n]  durable aromatic wood of any of numerous cedar trees; especially wood of the red cedar often used for cedar chests
3. [n]  any of numerous trees of the family Cupressaceae that resemble cedars

Cedar
From the giant cedar of the rainforest came a wealth of raw materials vital to the way of life, art and culture of the early First Nations people of the Northwest Coast. All parts of the cedar tree had many uses. From the wood, skilled men made ocean-going canoes, massive post-and-beam houses, monumental carved poles that declared history, rights and lineage, and powerful dance masks. Women dextrously wove the inner bark into mats and baskets, plied it into cordage and netting or processed it into soft, warm, water-repellent clothing. They also made the strong withes into heavy-duty rope and wove the roots into watertight baskets. Hilary Stewart explains, through her vivid descriptions, 550 detailed drawings and 50 photographs, the tools and techniques used, as well as the superbly crafted objects and their uses - all in the context of daily and ceremonial life. Anecdotes, oral history and the accounts of early explorers, traders, missionaries and native elders highlight the text.

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1. \Ce"dar\, n. [AS. ceder, fr. L. cedrus, Gr. ?.] (Bot.)
   The name of several evergreen trees. The wood is remarkable
   for its durability and fragrant odor.
   Note: The cedar of Lebanon is the Cedrus Libani; the white
         cedar ({Cupressus thyoides}) is now called
         {Cham[oe]cyparis sph[ae]roidea}; American red cedar is
         the {Juniperus Virginiana}; Spanish cedar, the West
         Indian {Cedrela odorata}. Many other trees with
         odoriferous wood are locally called cedar.
   {Cedar bird} (Zo["o]l.), a species of chatterer ({Ampelis
      cedrarum}), so named from its frequenting cedar trees; --
      called also {cherry bird}, {Canada robin}, and {American
      waxwing}.
   

2. \Ce"dar\, a.
   Of or pertaining to cedar.
   

A superset of Mesa, from Xerox PARC, adding garbage collection, dynamic types and a universal pointer type (REF ANY). Cedar is a large complex language designed for custom Xerox hardware and the Cedar operating system/environment. Data types are atoms, lists, ropes ("industrial strength" strings), conditions. Multi-processing features include threads, monitors, signals and catch phrases. It was used to develop the Cedar integrated programming environment.

["A Description of the Cedar Language", Butler Lampson, Xerox PARC, CSL-83-15 (Dec 1983)].

["The Structure of Cedar", D. Swinehart et al, SIGPLAN Notices 20(7):230-244 (July 1985)].

(Heb. e'rez, Gr. kedros, Lat. cedrus), a tree very frequently mentioned in Scripture. It was stately (Ezek. 31:3-5), long-branched (Ps. 80:10; 92:12; Ezek. 31:6-9), odoriferous (Cant. 4:11; Hos. 14:6), durable, and therefore much used for boards, pillars, and ceilings (1 Kings 6:9, 10; 7:2; Jer. 22:14), for masts (Ezek. 27:5), and for carved images (Isa. 44:14).

It grew very abundantly in Palestine, and particularly on Lebanon, of which it was "the glory" (Isa. 35:2; 60:13). Hiram supplied Solomon with cedar trees from Lebanon for various purposes connected with the construction of the temple and the king's palace (2 Sam. 5:11; 7:2, 7; 1 Kings 5:6, 8,10; 6:9, 10, 15, 16, 18, 20; 7:2, 3, 7, 11, 12; 9:11, etc.). Cedars were used also in the building of the second temple under Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:7).

Of the ancient cedars of Lebanon there remain now only some seven or eight. They are not standing together. But beside them there are found between three hundred and four hundred of younger growth. They stand in an amphitheatre fronting the west, about 6,400 feet above the level of the sea.

The cedar is often figuratively alluded to in the sacred Scriptures. "The mighty conquerors of olden days, the despots of Assyria and the Pharaohs of Egypt, the proud and idolatrous monarchs of Judah, the Hebrew commonwealth itself, the war-like Ammonites of patriarchal times, and the moral majesty of the Messianic age, are all compared to the towering cedar, in its royal loftiness and supremacy (Isa. 2:13; Ezek. 17:3, 22, 23, 31:3-9; Amos 2:9; Zech. 11:1, 2; Job 40:17; Ps. 29:5; 80:10; 92:12, etc).", Groser's Scrip. Nat. Hist. (See BOX-TREE ¯T0000636.)