1.
[syn: white sweet clover, white melilot, Melilotus alba]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Tree \Tree\ (tr[=e]), n. [OE. tree, tre, treo, AS. tre['o],
tre['o]w, tree, wood; akin to OFries. tr[=e], OS. treo, trio,
Icel. tr[=e], Dan. trae, Sw. tr[aum], tr[aum]d, Goth. triu,
Russ. drevo, W. derw an oak, Ir. darag, darog, Gr. dry^s a
tree, oak, do`ry a beam, spear shaft, spear, Skr. dru tree,
wood, d[=a]ru wood. [root]63, 241. Cf. Dryad, Germander,
Tar, n., Trough.]
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1. (Bot.) Any perennial woody plant of considerable size
(usually over twenty feet high) and growing with a single
trunk.
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Note: The kind of tree referred to, in any particular case,
is often indicated by a modifying word; as forest tree,
fruit tree, palm tree, apple tree, pear tree, etc.
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2. Something constructed in the form of, or considered as
resembling, a tree, consisting of a stem, or stock, and
branches; as, a genealogical tree.
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3. A piece of timber, or something commonly made of timber;
-- used in composition, as in axletree, boottree,
chesstree, crosstree, whiffletree, and the like.
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4. A cross or gallows; as Tyburn tree.
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[Jesus] whom they slew and hanged on a tree. --Acts
x. 39.
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5. Wood; timber. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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In a great house ben not only vessels of gold and of
silver but also of tree and of earth. --Wyclif (2
Tim. ii. 20).
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6. (Chem.) A mass of crystals, aggregated in arborescent
forms, obtained by precipitation of a metal from solution.
See Lead tree, under Lead.
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Tree bear (Zool.), the raccoon. [Local, U. S.]
Tree beetle (Zool.) any one of numerous species of beetles
which feed on the leaves of trees and shrubs, as the May
beetles, the rose beetle, the rose chafer, and the
goldsmith beetle.
Tree bug (Zool.), any one of numerous species of
hemipterous insects which live upon, and suck the sap of,
trees and shrubs. They belong to Arma, Pentatoma,
Rhaphigaster, and allied genera.
Tree cat (Zool.), the common paradoxure (Paradoxurus
musang).
Tree clover (Bot.), a tall kind of melilot (Melilotus
alba). See Melilot.
Tree crab (Zool.), the purse crab. See under Purse.
Tree creeper (Zool.), any one of numerous species of
arboreal creepers belonging to Certhia, Climacteris,
and allied genera. See Creeper, 3.
Tree cricket (Zool.), a nearly white arboreal American
cricket (Ecanthus niv[oe]us) which is noted for its loud
stridulation; -- called also white cricket.
Tree crow (Zool.), any one of several species of Old World
crows belonging to Crypsirhina and allied genera,
intermediate between the true crows and the jays. The tail
is long, and the bill is curved and without a tooth.
Tree dove (Zool.) any one of several species of East Indian
and Asiatic doves belonging to Macropygia and allied
genera. They have long and broad tails, are chiefly
arboreal in their habits, and feed mainly on fruit.
Tree duck (Zool.), any one of several species of ducks
belonging to Dendrocygna and allied genera. These ducks
have a long and slender neck and a long hind toe. They are
arboreal in their habits, and are found in the tropical
parts of America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Tree fern (Bot.), an arborescent fern having a straight
trunk, sometimes twenty or twenty-five feet high, or even
higher, and bearing a cluster of fronds at the top. Most
of the existing species are tropical.
Tree fish (Zool.), a California market fish (Sebastichthys
serriceps).
Tree frog. (Zool.)
(a) Same as Tree toad.
(b) Any one of numerous species of Old World frogs
belonging to Chiromantis, Rhacophorus, and allied
genera of the family Ranidae. Their toes are
furnished with suckers for adhesion. The flying frog
(see under Flying) is an example.
Tree goose (Zool.), the bernicle goose.
Tree hopper (Zool.), any one of numerous species of small
leaping hemipterous insects which live chiefly on the
branches and twigs of trees, and injure them by sucking
the sap. Many of them are very odd in shape, the prothorax
being often prolonged upward or forward in the form of a
spine or crest.
Tree jobber (Zool.), a woodpecker. [Obs.]
Tree kangaroo. (Zool.) See Kangaroo.
Tree lark (Zool.), the tree pipit. [Prov. Eng.]
Tree lizard (Zool.), any one of a group of Old World
arboreal lizards (formerly grouped as the Dendrosauria)
comprising the chameleons; also applied to various lizards
belonging to the families Agamidae or Iguanidae,
especially those of the genus Urosaurus, such as the
lined tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus) of the
southwestern U.S.
Tree lobster. (Zool.) Same as Tree crab, above.
Tree louse (Zool.), any aphid; a plant louse.
Tree moss. (Bot.)
(a) Any moss or lichen growing on trees.
(b) Any species of moss in the form of a miniature tree.
Tree mouse (Zool.), any one of several species of African
mice of the subfamily Dendromyinae. They have long claws
and habitually live in trees.
Tree nymph, a wood nymph. See Dryad.
Tree of a saddle, a saddle frame.
Tree of heaven (Bot.), an ornamental tree (Ailantus
glandulosus) having long, handsome pinnate leaves, and
greenish flowers of a disagreeable odor.
Tree of life (Bot.), a tree of the genus Thuja; arbor
vitae.
Tree onion (Bot.), a species of garlic (Allium
proliferum) which produces bulbs in place of flowers, or
among its flowers.
Tree oyster (Zool.), a small American oyster (Ostrea
folium) which adheres to the roots of the mangrove tree;
-- called also raccoon oyster.
Tree pie (Zool.), any species of Asiatic birds of the genus
Dendrocitta. The tree pies are allied to the magpie.
Tree pigeon (Zool.), any one of numerous species of
longwinged arboreal pigeons native of Asia, Africa, and
Australia, and belonging to Megaloprepia, Carpophaga,
and allied genera.
Tree pipit. (Zool.) See under Pipit.
Tree porcupine (Zool.), any one of several species of
Central and South American arboreal porcupines belonging
to the genera Chaetomys and Sphingurus. They have an
elongated and somewhat prehensile tail, only four toes on
the hind feet, and a body covered with short spines mixed
with bristles. One South American species (Sphingurus
villosus) is called also couiy; another (Sphingurus
prehensilis) is called also c[oe]ndou.
Tree rat (Zool.), any one of several species of large
ratlike West Indian rodents belonging to the genera
Capromys and Plagiodon. They are allied to the
porcupines.
Tree serpent (Zool.), a tree snake.
Tree shrike (Zool.), a bush shrike.
Tree snake (Zool.), any one of numerous species of snakes
of the genus Dendrophis. They live chiefly among the
branches of trees, and are not venomous.
Tree sorrel (Bot.), a kind of sorrel (Rumex Lunaria)
which attains the stature of a small tree, and bears
greenish flowers. It is found in the Canary Islands and
Tenerife.
Tree sparrow (Zool.) any one of several species of small
arboreal sparrows, especially the American tree sparrow
(Spizella monticola), and the common European species
(Passer montanus).
Tree swallow (Zool.), any one of several species of
swallows of the genus Hylochelidon which lay their eggs
in holes in dead trees. They inhabit Australia and
adjacent regions. Called also martin in Australia.
Tree swift (Zool.), any one of several species of swifts of
the genus Dendrochelidon which inhabit the East Indies
and Southern Asia.
Tree tiger (Zool.), a leopard.
Tree toad (Zool.), any one of numerous species of
amphibians belonging to Hyla and allied genera of the
family Hylidae. They are related to the common frogs and
toads, but have the tips of the toes expanded into suckers
by means of which they cling to the bark and leaves of
trees. Only one species (Hyla arborea) is found in
Europe, but numerous species occur in America and
Australia. The common tree toad of the Northern United
States (Hyla versicolor) is noted for the facility with
which it changes its colors. Called also tree frog. See
also Piping frog, under Piping, and Cricket frog,
under Cricket.
Tree warbler (Zool.), any one of several species of
arboreal warblers belonging to Phylloscopus and allied
genera.
Tree wool (Bot.), a fine fiber obtained from the leaves of
pine trees.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Melilotus alba
n 1: biennial plant; valuable honey plant [syn: white sweet
clover, white melilot, Melilotus alba]