Main Entry: ¹tree

Pronunciation: \ˈtrē\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English trēow; akin to Old Norse trē tree, Greek drys, Sanskrit dāru wood

Date: before 12th century

1 a : a woody perennial plant having a single usually elongate main stem generally with few or no branches on its lower part b : a shrub or herb of arborescent form <rose trees> <a banana tree>
2 a (1) : a piece of wood (as a post or pole) usually adapted to a particular use or forming part of a structure or implement (2) archaic : the cross on which Jesus was crucified b archaic : gallows
3 : something in the form of or resembling a tree: as a : a diagram or graph that branches usually from a simple stem or vertex without forming loops or polygons <a genealogical tree> <phylogenetic trees> b : a much-branched system of channels especially in an animal body <the vascular tree>
4 : saddletree

— tree·less \-ləs\ adjective

— tree·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective