tree calf

A bright brown calf bookbinding, stained by acids with a pattern resembling the trunk and branches of a tree

tree /trē/

noun

1. A large plant with a single branched woody trunk (sometimes loosely applied)
2. Timber
3. A wooden structure or part of various kinds
4. A saddle-tree
5. A boot- or shoe-tree
6. A branching figure or structure, such as an arborescent aggregate of crystals (eg lead tree), a branching stand (eg ring-tree, mug-tree), a pedigree, a branching diagram
7. A gallows (archaic)
8. A cross for crucifixion (archaic)

transitive verb (treeˈing; treed)

1. To drive into a tree, to corner (also figurative)
2. To form on a tree

intransitive verb

To take refuge in a tree

adjective

Wooden

combining form

1. Denoting: inhabiting, frequenting or growing on trees
2. Taking the form of a tree
3. Dendritic

treeˈless adjective

treeˈlessness noun

treeˈlike adjective

treeˈship noun

Existence as a tree

tree bicycle noun

A mechanical device used for climbing trees

tree burial noun

Disposal of the dead in the branches of trees

tree calf noun

A light-brown calf bookbinding with a branching tree design

tree creeper noun

Any small northern hemisphere bird of the family Certhildae that runs up tree trunks in search of insects

tree diagram noun

A diagram in which different possible outcomes are presented as branches of a tree

tree farm noun

A commercially-managed forest or woodland area

tree fern noun

A large, tropical fern with a tall woody trunk

tree frog noun

An arboreal amphibian, esp one of the family Hylidae, more akin to toads than to frogs

tree heath another name for brier²

tree hopper noun

Any of the homopterous leaping insects of the family Membracidae

tree house noun

A house built in a tree, esp as a playhouse

treeˈ-hugger noun (informal, usu derogatory)

An environmentalist

treeˈ-hugging noun

tree kangaroo noun

A tree-climbing kangaroo (genus Dendrolagus)

tree lily noun

A xerophytic treelike plant of the Brazilian campos (genus Vellozia)

tree line same as timber line (see under timber).

treeˈ-lined adjective

(of roads, etc) having trees along either side

tree mallow noun

Lavatera arbarca, a treelike plant of the Malvaceae family, having reddish-purple flowers

tree moss noun

1. Moss or lichen growing on a tree
2. A moss like a tiny tree in shape

treenail or trenail /trēˈnāl, trenˈl/ noun

A long wooden pin or nail to fasten the planks of a ship to the timbers

tree of heaven noun

Ailanthus

tree of lead noun

Saturn's tree (qv)

tree of life noun

1. Arbor vitae
2. A tree in the Garden of Eden whose fruit gave everlasting life (Bible, Genesis 2.9)

tree of silver or Diana's tree noun

An arborescent deposit of silver

tree onion noun

A variety of onion with bulbs instead of flowers

tree peony noun

A shrub (Paeonia suffruticosa, also called moutan) of the family Ranunculaceae, native to China and Tibet, with pale pink flowers, from which many garden varieties have been developed

tree rings plural noun

Annual rings

tree shrew noun

A squirrel-shrew, any insectivorous mammal of the East Indian family Tupaiidae, squirrel-like animals related to shrews

tree snake noun

A tree-dwelling snake

tree sparrow noun

1. A small European bird (Passer montanus) of the sparrow family
2. A N American finch, Spizella arborea

tree stump noun

tree surgeon noun

A person who treats and preserves diseased or damaged trees by filling cavities, amputating branches, etc

tree surgery noun

tree toad noun

A tree frog

tree tomato noun

The tamarillo, a S American solanaceous shrub (Cyphomandra betacea or C. crassifolia) or its tomato-like fruit

treeˈtop noun

The top of a tree

tree trunk noun

tree worship noun

tree worshipper noun

at the top of the tree

In the highest position in eg a profession

family tree

Pedigree

out of one's tree (slang)

Crazy

the tree of knowledge (of good and evil)

The tree in the Garden of Eden which bore the forbidden fruit eaten by Adam and Eve (Bible, Genesis 2.17)

up a tree (slang, esp N American)

In difficulties (cf up a gum tree under gum²)