A cone is the seed-bearing structure produced by most conifer trees. In formal botanical terminology, it is a strobilus: a reproductive organ made of scales or bracts arranged around a central axis.
The familiar woody cone is usually female. Its scales bear ovules that develop into seeds after pollination and fertilization. When mature, many cones open and release seeds, sometimes helped by dry weather, wind, animals, or fire. Male cones are generally smaller and less conspicuous; they produce pollen and often disappear after releasing it.
Not every cone is hard and woody. Juniper “berries,” for example, are fleshy, cone-derived structures, and some conifer cones are cylindrical, rounded, or only loosely conical. A cone therefore means a reproductive structure, not necessarily a perfect geometric shape.
Conifers are gymnosperms, meaning their seeds are not enclosed inside a fruit like those of flowering plants. This is why a cone is not a fruit, even though animals may eat its seeds and some cones may look berry-like.