tree
/tɹiː/
In a biological sense, the term distinguishes large perennial plants from shrubs or herbs based on the development of a lignified trunk. This structural rigidity allows the plant to compete for sunlight by elevating its canopy far above the forest floor. Beyond botany, the term is used as a fundamental conceptual model for organization. Whether in genealogy or computer science, the branching structure represents a relationship of descent or hierarchy, where a single root splits into multiple divergent paths.
A tree, two trees.
💬Casual Conversation
I am literally using this tree for weighted pull-ups right now!
Please stop acting like a lunatic in public.
Meanings
Examples
I think we should plant a tree in the backyard.
Look at that massive tree! I bet it is a century old.
Get your kids away from that tree, the branches are rotting!
Seriously, who just cuts down a healthy tree for no reason?
Wait, is that a tree falling over in the wind?
I can't believe you're actually hugging a tree right now.
Just park the car under that tree to stay cool.
Get out of the way, this tree is literally blocking the road!
Collocations & Compounds
family tree
a diagram showing ancestry
I am tracing my family tree to find my great-grandfather.
evergreen tree
a tree that retains leaves year-round
The pine is a classic example of an evergreen tree.
fruit tree
a tree that produces edible fruit
We have an apple fruit tree in our garden.
tree trunk
the main woody stem of a tree
The tree trunk was too thick to chop through.
tree canopy
the upper layer of a forest
Birds nest high up in the tree canopy.
Idioms & Sayings
bark up the wrong tree
to pursue a mistaken line of thought
If you think I stole your keys, you're barking up the wrong tree.