bough

noun

: a branch of a tree
especially : a main branch
boughed adjective

Examples of bough in a Sentence

a tree bough fell on my car during the windstorm
Recent Examples on the Web Extra dry-hopping enhances the aromas of berries and evergreen boughs. Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Feb. 2024 These nine types of boughs are readily available at local garden centers and are even easier to decorate your home with. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 12 Nov. 2023 Across almost three hundred poems, Cavendish speculated about how atoms joined to form everything in the world, from a fire’s stinging spark to the broad boughs of an oak tree. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 In one photo, the fireplace mantle is lit up with twinkly lights and a thick swath of pine boughs. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 That impulse is part of what led education technology company Outschool to explore options besides the typical dinner-and-drinks routine at a bar decked with boughs of holly. Jo Constantz, Fortune, 7 Dec. 2023 Place the arrangement on a neutral table runner for a simply beautiful Thanksgiving table setting. 22 of 32 Evergreen Accent Add appeal to your staircase banister with a pinecone decoration made from evergreen boughs and ribbon. Kaylei Fear, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Nov. 2023 Among the bold-faced names dangling in ornament form from our boughs are Anna Wintour, Frida Kahlo, Karl Lagerfeld and Snoop Dogg. Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 Recommended The sprawling tree is beloved, towering more than 60 feet and spanning nearly an acre with aerial roots descending from its boughs. Ed Komenda and Audrey McAvoy, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bough.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, shoulder, bough, from Old English bōg; akin to Old High German buog shoulder, Greek pēchys forearm

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bough was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bough

Cite this Entry

“Bough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bough. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bough

noun
: a branch of a tree
especially : a main branch
boughed adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on bough

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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