Lir·i·o·den·dron n.; pl. Liriodendra Bot. A genus of large and very beautiful trees of North America, having smooth, shining leaves, and handsome, tuliplike flowers; tulip tree; whitewood; -- called also canoewood. Liriodendron tulipifera is the only extant species, but there were several others in the Cretaceous epoch.
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Tu·lip n. Bot. Any plant of the liliaceous genus Tulipa. Many varieties are cultivated for their beautiful, often variegated flowers.
Tulip tree. (a) A large American tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) of the magnolia family (Magnoliaceae) bearing tuliplike flowers. See Liriodendron. (b) A West Indian malvaceous tree (Paritium tiliaceum syn. Hibiscus tiliaceum).
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White·wood n. The soft and easily-worked wood of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera). It is much used in cabinetwork, carriage building, etc.
Note: ☞ Several other kinds of light-colored wood are called whitewood in various countries, as the wood of Bignonia leucoxylon in the West Indies, of Pittosporum bicolor in Tasmania, etc.
Whitewood bark. See the Note under Canella.
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Liriodendron tulipifera
n : tall North American deciduous timber tree having large
tulip-shaped greenish yellow flowers and conelike fruit;
yields soft white woods used especially for cabinet work
[syn: tulip tree, tulip poplar, yellow poplar, canary
whitewood]