spruce n
1 Also: red spruce.
1984 POWELL 102 This was a blind valley--all red spruce about the same size. 1987 Evening Telegram 10 Oct, p. A1 Many forest sites...seemed to be too dry to support good growth of black spruce, and pine species...should grow much faster on these sites.
3 Attrib, comb ~ bird, ~ longer: see LONGER n 1, ~ partridge, ~ root (basket), ~ tuck: see TUCK2 n.
1987 MONTEVECCHI & TUCK 245 Spruce bird. Red crossbill. 1987 Nfld Qtly lxxxii (3), 17 'They drag the poor creature ashore, winch him noisily up a wharf, and unto a tripod o' spruce "longers".' 1984 POWELL 61 When I got back to the camp, there was a spruce partridge sitting on the tent pole right over the camp door. 1989 Nfld Qtly lxxxv (2), 32 Spruce root baskets hung airily from the rafters and rice paper streamers dangled dashingly from the ceiling. 1983 SOUTH (ed) 194 These [barrens] represent important caribou grazing grounds during severe winters with heavy snow accumulation. Ericaceous dwarf shrub heath, black spruce tuck and scrubby forests become more important eastward.
