tree

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. a drawing or list that shows how things are connected, like a family tree.

n. a diagrammatic representation of a structure or process that branches out from a single root or origin.

“She drew a family tree to show her children who their great-grandparents were.”

“The linguist constructed a phylogenetic tree to illustrate the historical divergence of Indo-European languages from a common ancestor.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical

n. a way of organizing data where each part can branch into smaller parts.

n. a recursive data structure or connected graph with no cycles, consisting of nodes with parent-child relationships.

“The program uses a search tree to find the correct file quickly.”

“The algorithm efficiently traverses the binary search tree to retrieve records with minimal computational overhead.”

C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Slang · Informal

n. a slang word for marijuana.

n. a slang term for cannabis or marijuana, often used in the plural form.

“He was arrested for possession of trees after the police searched his car.”

“The lyrics of the song contain several coded references to smoking trees, a common trope in contemporary hip-hop culture.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a stand with hooks used for hanging things like hats, coats, or shoes.

n. a vertical stand or internal frame designed to support, hang, or maintain the shape of specific items.

“He hung his wet raincoat on the hall tree near the front door.”

“To preserve the leather, he always inserted a cedar shoe tree into his oxfords immediately after taking them off.”

C2 · Proficiency American English

v. to chase an animal until it climbs a tree to escape.

v. to force an animal or person to take refuge in a tree by chasing or cornering them.

“The hunting dogs managed to tree the raccoon in less than ten minutes.”

“The hounds successfully treed the cougar, allowing the researchers to safely administer a sedative for their study.”