1. A North American larch tree (Larix laricina), also called tamarack, valued for its hard, durable wood.
Usage: chiefly North American; also called tamarack or eastern larch
2. The wood of the hackmatack tree, used in shipbuilding and construction.
Usage: nautical/historical

Examples

• The hackmatack grows in swamps and wetlands across northeastern North America.
• Shipbuilders prized hackmatack for its strength and resistance to rot.
• The hackmatack's wood was traditionally used to build the frames of wooden ships.
• In autumn, the needles of the hackmatack turn golden before falling.
• The dense hackmatack forests provided valuable timber for early colonial settlements.