arboreal
adjective
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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
Kholood Eid, New York Times, 2 May 2025
The snowpack would provide constant runoff for rivers and streams and lakes, a riparian cornucopia ensuring only the mildest wildfires would ever come for our arboreal paradise.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
The key to arboreal caring is certain mycorrhizae fungal strands that allow for the flow of metabolites from the roots of one tree to another, whether or not the trees are of the same species.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025
Scientists initially believed the species lived in the trees and that this digit provided grip for their arboreal lifestyle.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for arboreal
Cite this Entry
“Arboreal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arboreal. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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arboreal
adjective
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