arboretum

noun

ar·​bo·​re·​tum ˌär-bə-ˈrē-təm 

plural arboretums or arboreta ˌär-bə-ˈrē-tə 

: a place where trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants are cultivated for scientific and educational purposes

Examples of arboretum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Access is included with admission to the arboretum, which costs $18 for adults, $14 for seniors and students, and $8 for children ages 3 to 12. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

Rebecca Lane, arboretum supervisor at Kew Gardens, told Martha Stewart that the design opens the outdoors to people who are often left out of traditional landscaping. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 29 Oct. 2026

On average, maples develop their brightest and most consistent color in mid-October, and oaks in late October in the Chicago region, according to the arboretum. — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 21 Oct. 2026

And so began a mother-daughter quest that so far has taken us to a Cypriot mountain village, the British countryside, and playgrounds and arboretums across the United States to find Maya’s 337-strong genetic family and learn more about the syndrome. — Deepa Fernandes, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin, plantation of trees, from arbor

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for arboretum

• equisetum
• pennisetum
• decretum

Kids Definition

arboretum

noun

ar·​bo·​re·​tum ˌär-bə-ˈrēt-əm 

plural arboretums or arboreta -ˈrēt-ə 

: a place where trees and plants are grown for scientific and educational purposes