Christmas tree

noun

plural Christmas trees

1

: a usually evergreen tree decorated at Christmas

2

: an oil-well control device consisting of an assembly of fittings placed at the top of the well

3

drag racing : a set of paired colored lights arranged in two columns on a vertical pole in front of the starting line and used for starting a race

Lights on top of the Christmas tree tell the drivers to enter the staging area. Larger yellow lights mean, "get ready." The green light means "go!"

—Lori Polydoros

Examples of Christmas tree in a Sentence

We hung the lights on the Christmas tree.

Recent Examples on the Web

Among his many acts of service, my father volunteered with Chicago’s Christmas Ship, bringing Christmas trees to disadvantaged families in the area. —Alex Poppe, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026

A lot of ornaments and tinsel on the Christmas tree. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 June 2026

No country may be able to completely end its reliance on China, the world’s largest manufacturer, which churns out everything including car parts and Christmas trees. —Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026

The photo showed the retired athlete and Cordeiro posing by a Christmas tree with his two daughters, Natasha and Ella. —Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Christmas tree

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

Christmas tree

noun

: a usually evergreen tree decorated at Christmas