arborvitae

noun ar·bor·vi·tae \ ˌär-bər-ˈvī-tē \

Updated on: 7 Mar 2018

Definition of arborvitae

: any of various evergreen trees and shrubs (especially genus Thuja) of the cypress family that usually have closely overlapping or compressed scale leaves and are often grown for ornament and in hedges

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Recent Examples of arborvitae from the Web

Shake heavy snow off shrubs and trees to keep branches from breaking or bending, especially frail structures such as arborvitae, boxwoods, young rhododendrons and azaleas.

— samantha swindler, OregonLive.com, "People are still playing Pokemon Go, apparently: Forest Grove police log," 19 Feb. 2018
Evergreens like pines, spruce, yews, arborvitae and junipers shed their older inner needles.

— melinda myers, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Layer leaves with compost or soil to make raised beds," 15 Dec. 2017
Here are some questions asked by other gardeners, including whether to top a tree, how to fight stink bugs and how to help a struggling arborvitae.

— OregonLive.com, "To top or not to top a tree and how to fight stink bugs: Ask an expert," 4 Nov. 2017
Amethyst vases, decanters, and two hefty hurricanes from William Yeoward Crystal set up a striking color scheme and complement a garland made of two kinds of arborvitae.

— sarah yang, House Beautiful, "Top Pin of the Day: A Purple Holiday Mantel," 10 Dec. 2013
Dear Dr. Dirt: Just transplanted three 9-inch arborvitae and wanted to find out how often to water them.

— dick crum, Indianapolis Star, "Dr. Dirt: Japanese beetle can bore holes into leaves," 18 Aug. 2017
The heavy rain followed by the recent spell of hot and dry weather has increased the stress on your arborvitae.

— tim johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Evergreen that's taken on a brown color is beyond saving," 3 July 2017
High-resin woods, like spruce, pine, arborvitae and juniper, take longer to break down in the compost pile, as do oak and cottonwood tree leaves, which are high in tannin.

— betty cahill, The Denver Post, "Punch List: The third week in June is about time to harvest garlic in the Colorado garden," 16 June 2017
A K9 unit was called in and caught the man hiding in some arborvitae.

— samantha swindler, OregonLive.com, "No free transport to watch 'Walker, Texas Ranger': Forest Grove police log," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arborvitae.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.