Describing trees and shrubs that produce cones and typically have needle-like or scale-like leaves that remain green year-round. Most conifers are evergreen and well-adapted to cold or dry conditions.
From Latin 'conifer' meaning 'cone-bearing,' from 'conus' (cone) and 'ferre' (to bear). The term entered English in the mid-18th century as botanical classification systems developed to distinguish cone-bearing plants from other tree types.
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