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

Four people were injured when gunfire erupted in a crowd during an annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Concord, North Carolina, according to police. —Jason Volack, ABC News, 22 Nov. 2025

One person died and eight people were wounded in a pair of shootings late Friday night in the Loop, just hours after Chicago lit the city's official Christmas tree just blocks away in Millennium Park. —Todd Feurer, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025

How much do Christmas tree permits cost in California? —Sacbee.com, 22 Nov. 2025

These eye-catching ornaments with a touch of holiday sparkle are sure to add a hint of quiet elegance to any Christmas tree or wreath. —Jacquleyn McGilvray, PEOPLE, 22 Nov. 2025

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