branch

1 a major outgrowth from the main stem of a woody plant I loved climbing among the branches of that old tree Synonyms bough, limb Related Words branchlet, offshoot, outgrowth, shoot, spur; spray, sprig, twig

2 a local unit of an organization a bank with many neighborhood branches Synonyms affiliate, chapter, cell, council, localRelated Words arm, division, wing; offshoot, subchapter; lodge, post

3 a stream that flows into a larger body of water the Blue Nile, the Atbara, and the White Nile are the three primary branches of the Nile River Synonyms affluent, bayou, tributary, confluent, feeder, influentRelated Words backwater; brook, brooklet, creek, rill, rivulet, run [chiefly Midland], streamlet; fountainhead, head, headstream, headwater, sourceAntonyms distributary, effluent

4 a large unit of a governmental, business, or educational organization the two branches of the U.S. Congress Synonyms agency, arm, division, bureau, department, desk, office, serviceRelated Words subdepartment, subdivision

to extend outwards from or as if from a central point threads branched from the center of the spider web Synonyms radiate, fan (out), rayRelated Words diffuse, dispel, disperse, dissipate; fork, stem; diverge, divide, part, ramify, separate, split, uncouple, unlink, unyoke; scatter, splay, spread; arise, derive, emanate, flow, issue, proceed, springNear Antonyms approach, close in (on), near; center (on), centralize; connect, couple, join, link, uniteAntonyms concentrate, converge, focus, funnel, meet