arboreal

adjective

ar·​bo·​re·​al är-ˈbȯr-ē-əl 

1

: of, relating to, or resembling a tree

2

: inhabiting or frequenting trees

arboreal monkeys

arboreally

är-ˈbȯr-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

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Head to the Forest to Define Arboreal

Arboreal took root in English in the 17th century, at a time when language influencers were eager to see English take on words from Latin and Greek. Apparently unsatisfied with the now-obsolete word treen (“of, relating to, or derived from trees”), they plucked arboreal from the Latin arboreus, meaning “of a tree”; its ultimate root is arbor, meaning “tree.” That root arborized—that is, branched freely (to use the term figuratively): English abounds with largely obscure words that trace back to arbor, meaning “tree.” Generally synonymous with arboreal are arboraceous, arborary, arboreous, and arborous. Synonymous with arboreal specifically in the sense of “relating to or resembling a tree” are arborescent, arboresque, arborical, and arboriform. Arboricole is a synonym of arboreal in its “inhabiting trees” sense. (The influencers may have overdone it a bit.) Arboreal is far more common than any of these, but other arbor words also have a firm hold in the language: arborvitae refers to a shrub whose name translates as “tree of life”; arboretum refers to a place where trees are cultivated; and arboriculture is the cultivation of trees. And of course we can't forget Arbor Day, which since 1872 has named a day set aside for planting trees. Despite its spelling, however, the English word arbor, which refers to a garden shelter of tree boughs or vines twined together, has a different source: it came by way of Anglo-French from the Latin herba, meaning “herb” or “grass.”

Examples of arboreal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Participants in Naturaliste Tours therefore must keep a respectful distance so as not to upset the arboreal creatures. —Elizabeth Warkentin, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2024

Zoom in: The newbies include a Jamaican Boa, an axolotl, an arboreal alligator lizard, Golfodulcean poison dart frogs, Madagascar hissing cockroaches and an emperor scorpion. —Jason Clayworth, Axios, 9 July 2024

Some had thought Microraptor was an arboreal creature that glided between the treetops. —science.org, 3 July 2024

There’s even a Smell-o-Vision version of an arboreal forest. —Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 26 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin arboreus of a tree, from arbor

First Known Use

circa 1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

arboreal

adjective

ar·​bo·​re·​al är-ˈbōr-ē-əl 

-ˈbȯr-

1

: of, relating to, or resembling a tree

2

: living in or often found in trees