noun
- a woody perennial plant with one main stem or trunk which develops many branches, usually at some height above the ground
- a treelike bush or shrub: a rose tree
- a wooden beam, bar, pole, post, stake, etc.
- anything resembling a tree in form, as in having a stem and branches; specif.,
- family tree
- Chem. a treelike formation of crystals
- Archaic
- the cross on which Jesus was crucified
- a gallows
Origin:
ME < OE trēow, akin to Goth triu, ON trē < IE base *deru-, tree, prob. orig. oak tree > Gr drys, oak, (den)dron, tree
transitive verb treed, treeing
- ☆ to chase up a tree
- to place or stretch on a boot or shoe tree
- ☆ Informal to corner, as if chased up a tree; place in a difficult position