pinecone

Everyday

The hard, woody, scaly case on a pine tree that holds the tree's seeds. tree →

In the lessons

In science, pinecones protect the seeds; in dry weather the scales open and seeds fall out, and in damp weather they close. That is why people use them to «forecast» the weather. In crafts, pinecones make bird feeders.

Examples

• We collected pinecones in the forest. tree →
• The pinecone opened in the warm sun. tree →
• Squirrels pull seeds out of pinecones. tree →
• We made a bird feeder from a pinecone and peanut butter. tree →
• The pinecone closed when it got damp. tree →
• Pinecones lay all over the forest floor. tree →

Note

Pine cone or pinecone both fine. Plural: pinecones. Fir and spruce trees have cones too.