Word Study
sequoia
CIDE DICTIONARY
sequoia, n. [NL. So called by Dr. Endlicher in honor of Sequoyah, who invented the Cherokee alphabet.].
A genus of coniferous trees, consisting of two species, Sequoia Washingtoniana , syn. S. gigantea , the “big tree” of California, and S. sempervirens , the redwood, both of which attain an immense height. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
sequoia, n. a Californian evergreen coniferous tree, Sequoia sempervirens, of very great height.
Etymology
mod.L genus-name, f. Sequoiah, the name of a Cherokee
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