# tree

/ˈtɹi/ (US) · /tɹˈiː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tree
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. woody plant

noun · CEFR A1

a tall plant with a thick wooden trunk, branches, and leaves.

For teachers: a perennial woody plant typically having a single self-supporting main stem or trunk and numerous secondary branches.

- The children spent the afternoon climbing the old oak tree in the garden.
- The botanical garden features a diverse collection of deciduous trees that provide a vibrant display of colour throughout the autumn months.

### 2. branching diagram

noun · CEFR B1

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. computing/math

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

### 4. marijuana

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a slang word for marijuana.

For teachers: 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.

### 5. storage object

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 6. to force up a tree

verb · CEFR C2 · American English

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

For teachers: 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.

Usage: The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

## Examples

- The children are playing under the big oak tree.
- We decided to plant a fruit tree in the backyard to provide some natural shade during the summer.
- The ancient redwood tree stood as a silent witness to centuries of environmental change, its massive trunk supporting a complex ecosystem within its upper canopy.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.