arboreal •
\ahr-BOR-ee-ul\ • adjective 1 : of or relating to a tree : resembling a
tree 2 : inhabiting or frequenting trees
Examples: "… we
emerge into open space, 70 acres of green grassland, a savanna of widely
spaced, mature trees, many reaching 60 feet tall, gnarled and weathered, separated
as if each had staked out its own territory: an arboreal Gothic cathedral indeed." — Bill Marken, Sunset, April
2014
"[The hammocks]
are relatively indestructible, mimic the arboreal nests used by orangutans, and
provide a resting area for the gibbons as they swing among the treetops."
— Jim Redden, Portland Tribune (Oregon), August
25, 2014
Did you know? Arbor,
the Latin word for "tree," has been a rich source of tree-related
words in English, though some are fairly rare. Some arbor descendants are
synonyms of arboreal in the "relating to trees" sense: arboraceous,
arborary, arborical, and arborous. Some are synonyms meaning "inhabiting
trees": arboreous and arboricole. Others mean "resembling a
tree": arborescent, arboresque, and arboriform. The verb arborize means
"to branch freely," and arborvitae is the name of a shrub that means
literally "tree of life." There's also arboretum and arboriculture.
And we can't forget Arbor Day, which since 1872 has named a day set aside by
various states (and the national government ) for planting trees. But watch
out—the word arbor, in the sense of a "bower," is from Anglo-French herbe.
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