What does deodar mean?
The deodar is a majestic evergreen conifer native to the western Himalayas, known botanically as Cedrus deodara and commonly called the deodar cedar. Growing to great heights, it is distinguished by gracefully drooping branch tips and needle-like leaves that range from bright green to glaucous blue-green. Its pale, durable, pleasantly scented timber has long been valued across South Asia for construction and carving. The word entered English in the early nineteenth century via Hindi and Urdu, ultimately tracing back to the Sanskrit devadāru, meaning 'divine wood' — a fitting name for a tree held sacred in its homeland, where deodars were traditionally planted near temples. In English, the term appears mainly in botanical description, gardening literature, and travel writing about mountain regions, where the deodar is admired both as a stately landscape tree and as an ornamental specimen far beyond its native range.
nounA tall Himalayan cedar tree (Cedrus deodara) with drooping branches and fragrant timber; also called the deodar cedar.
- The Himalayan cedar tree (Cedrus deodara), a large evergreen conifer with drooping branches and aromatic wood.
"The temple courtyard was shaded by a towering deodar whose cedar scent drifted on the mountain air."
"The hillside path wound through stands of ancient deodar."
"Victorian gardeners prized the weeping blue-green foliage of the deodar as an ornamental specimen."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple trees of the species.
"The valley's oldest deodars are said to be centuries old."
Its name comes from the Sanskrit for 'divine wood' — in its Himalayan homeland, the deodar has been sacred for millennia and was traditionally planted near temples.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of deodar
The word deodar entered English in the early nineteenth century through Hindi and Urdu, which took it from the Sanskrit devadāru, literally 'divine wood' (deva, 'god, divine', plus dāru, 'wood, tree'). The first element shares an Indo-European root with words such as 'divine' and 'deity', while the second belongs to the widespread root behind 'tree' and 'true'. Its use reflects the tree's long-standing sacred status in the Himalayan region.
How deodar is actually used
Most often encountered in botanical, horticultural, or travel writing about the Himalayas. In South Asia it is also known by names derived from local languages, and the word may be capitalized in some botanical or regional contexts, though lowercase is standard in general English prose.
Easily confused with deodar
Cedar is the general name for several aromatic coniferous trees, while deodar refers specifically to the Himalayan species Cedrus deodara.