Adjacent Words

Branch definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BR'ANCH, n.
1. The shoot of a tree or other plant; a limb; a bough shooting from the stem, or from another branch or bough. Johnson restricts the word to a shoot from a main bough; but the definition warranted neither by etymology nor usage.
A division of a main stem, supporting the leaves and fructification.
An arm of a tree sprouting from the stem.
2. Any arm or extended part shooting or extended from the main body of a thing; as the branch of a candlestick or of an artery. Hence, from similitude, a smaller stream running into a large one,or proceeding from it. Also, the shoot of a stag's horn; an antler.
3. Any member or part of a body, or system; a distinct article; a section or subdivision; as, charity is a branch of christian duty.
4. Any individual of a family descending in a collateral line; any descendant from a common parent or stock.
5. Branches of a bridle, two pieces of bent iron which bear the bit, the cross chains and the curb.
6. In architecture, branches of ogives are the arches of Gothic vaults, traversing from one angle to another diagonally, and forming a cross between the other arches, which make the sides of the square, of which these arches are diagonals.
7. A warrant or commission given to a pilot.
8. A chandelier.
BR'ANCH, v.i. To shoot or spread in branches; to ramify, as a plant, or as horns.
1. To divide into separate parts, or subdivisions, as a mountain, a stream, or a moral subject; to ramify.
2. To speak diffusively; to make many distinctions or divisions in a discourse.
3. To have horns shooting out.
BR'ANCH, v.t. To divide as into branches; to make subordinate divisions.
1. To adorn with needle work, representing branches, flowers, or twigs.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a division of some larger or more complex organization; "a branch of Congress"; "botany is a branch of biology"; "the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages" [syn: branch, subdivision, arm]
2: a division of a stem, or secondary stem arising from the main stem of a plant
3: a part of a forked or branching shape; "he broke off one of the branches" [syn: branch, leg, ramification]
4: a natural consequence of development [syn: outgrowth, branch, offshoot, offset]
5: a stream or river connected to a larger one
6: any projection that is thought to resemble a human arm; "the arm of the record player"; "an arm of the sea"; "a branch of the sewer" [syn: arm, branch, limb] v
1: grow and send out branches or branch-like structures; "these plants ramify early and get to be very large" [syn: ramify, branch]
2: divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork; "The road forks" [syn: branch, ramify, fork, furcate, separate]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French branche, from Late Latin branca paw Date: 14th century 1. a natural subdivision of a plant stem; especially a secondary shoot or stem (as a bough) arising from a main axis (as of a tree) 2. something that extends from or enters into a main body or source: as a. (1) a stream that flows into another usually larger stream ; tributary (2) Southern & Midland creek 2 b. a side road or way c. a slender projection (as the tine of an antler) d. a distinctive part of a mathematical curve e. a part of a computer program executed as a result of a program decision 3. a part of a complex body: as a. a division of a family descending from a particular ancestor b. an area of knowledge that may be considered apart from related areas <pathology is a branch of medicine> c. (1) a division of an organization (2) a separate but dependent part of a central organization <the neighborhood branch of the city library> d. a language group less inclusive than a family <the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family> • branched adjective • branchless adjective • branchy adjective II. verb Date: 14th century intransitive verb 1. to put forth branches ; ramify 2. to spring out (as from a main stem) ; diverge 3. to be an outgrowth — used with from <poetry that branched from religious prose> 4. to extend activities — usually used with out <the business is branching out> 5. to follow one of two or more branches (as in a computer program) transitive verb 1. to ornament with designs of branches 2. to divide up ; section

U.S. Military Dictionary

1. A subdivision of any organization. 2. A geographically separate unit of an activity, which performs all or part of the primary functions of the parent activity on a smaller scale. Unlike an annex, a branch is not merely an overflow addition. 3. An arm or service of the Army. 4. The contingency options built into the base plan. A branch is used for changing the mission, orientation, or direction of movement of a force to aid success of the operation based on anticipated events, opportunities, or disruptions caused by enemy actions and reactions. See also sequel. (JP 5-0)

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a limb extending from a tree or bough. 2 a lateral extension or subdivision, esp. of a river, road, or railway. 3 a conceptual extension or subdivision, as of a family, knowledge, etc. 4 a local division or office etc. of a large business, as of a bank, library, etc. --v.intr. (often foll. by off) 1 diverge from the main part. 2 divide into branches. Phrases and idioms: branch out extend one's field of interest. Derivatives: branched adj. branchlet n. branchlike adj. branchy adj. Etymology: ME f. OF branche f. LL branca paw

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Branch Branch, n.; pl. Branches. [OE. braunche, F. branche, fr. LL. branca claw of a bird or beast of prey; cf. Armor. brank branch, bough.] 1. (Bot.) A shoot or secondary stem growing from the main stem, or from a principal limb or bough of a tree or other plant. 2. Any division extending like a branch; any arm or part connected with the main body of thing; ramification; as, the branch of an antler; the branch of a chandelier; a branch of a river; a branch of a railway. Most of the branches, or streams, were dried up. --W. Irving. 3. Any member or part of a body or system; a distinct article; a section or subdivision; a department. ``Branches of knowledge.'' --Prescott. It is a branch and parcel of mine oath. --Shak. 4. (Geom.) One of the portions of a curve that extends outwards to an indefinitely great distance; as, the branches of an hyperbola. 5. A line of family descent, in distinction from some other line or lines from the same stock; any descendant in such a line; as, the English branch of a family. His father, a younger branch of the ancient stock. --Carew. 6. (Naut.) A warrant or commission given to a pilot, authorizing him to pilot vessels in certain waters. Branches of a bridle, two pieces of bent iron, which bear the bit, the cross chains, and the curb. Branch herring. See Alewife. Root and branch, totally, wholly. Syn: Bough; limb; shoot; offshoot; twig; sprig.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Branch Branch, v. t. 1. To divide as into branches; to make subordinate division in. 2. To adorn with needlework representing branches, flowers, or twigs. The train whereof loose far behind her strayed, Branched with gold and pearl, most richly wrought. --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Branch Branch, a. Diverging from, or tributary to, a main stock, line, way, theme, etc.; as, a branch vein; a branch road or line; a branch topic; a branch store.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Branch Branch, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Branched; p. pr. & vb. n. Branching.] 1. To shoot or spread in branches; to separate into branches; to ramify. 2. To divide into separate parts or subdivision. To branch off, to form a branch or a separate part; to diverge. To branch out, to speak diffusively; to extend one's discourse to other topics than the main one; also, to enlarge the scope of one's business, etc. To branch out into a long disputation. --Spectator.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(branches, branching, branched) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. The branches of a tree are the parts that grow out from its trunk and have leaves, flowers, or fruit growing on them. N-COUNT 2. A branch of a business or other organization is one of the offices, shops, or groups which belong to it and which are located in different places. The local branch of Bank of America is handling the accounts... National is Britain's leading autocare service with over 400 branches nationwide. N-COUNT: oft N of n 3. A branch of an organization such as the government or the police force is a department that has a particular function. Senate employees could take their employment grievances to another branch of government... He had a fascination for submarines and joined this branch of the service. ...the Metropolitan Police Special Branch. N-COUNT: with supp, oft N of n, adj N 4. A branch of a subject is a part or type of it. Oncology is the branch of medicine dealing with tumors. N-COUNT: N of n 5. A branch of your family is a group of its members who are descended from one particular person. This is one of the branches of the Roosevelt family. N-COUNT: usu N of n

Easton's Bible Dictionary

a symbol of kings descended from royal ancestors (Ezek. 17:3, 10; Dan. 11:7); of prosperity (Job 8:16); of the Messiah, a branch out of the root of the stem of Jesse (Isa. 11:1), the "beautiful branch" (4:2), a "righteous branch" (Jer. 23:5), "the Branch" (Zech. 3:8; 6:12).

Disciples are branches of the true vine (John 15:5, 6). "The branch of the terrible ones" (Isa. 25:5) is rightly translated in the Revised Version "the song of the terrible ones," i.e., the song of victory shall be brought low by the destruction of Babylon and the return of the Jews from captivity.

The "abominable branch" is a tree on which a malefactor has been hanged (Isa. 14:19). The "highest branch" in Ezek. 17:3 represents Jehoiakim the king.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Bough, limb, shoot. 2. Offshoot, ramification, arm, projecting part. 3. Section, department, subdivision, part, portion, article, member. 4. Tributary, affluent, tributary stream. 5. Derivative line, cognate line, member of a stock. II. v. n. Diverge, ramify, spread in branches, shoot off, branch off.

Moby Thesaurus

L, V, adolescent stream, affiliate, affiliation, affluent, angle, angle off, apparentation, appendage, arm, arroyo, bayou, bear off, beck, bend, bifurcate, billabong, bine, biotype, birth, bisect, blood, bloodline, body, booking office, bough, bourn, box office, bracket, braided stream, branch off, branch office, branch out, branchedness, branchiness, breed, brook, brooklet, burgeon, burn, by two, cabinet, cable railway, caste, category, chambers, chancellery, chancery, change the bearing, channel, chapter, church, clan, class, cleave, closet, cog railway, common ancestry, communion, community, confluent, confluent stream, consanguinity, consulate, corporate headquarters, crank, creek, crick, crook, crotch, crutch, curve, cut in two, deadwood, delta, den, dendritic drainage pattern, denomination, depart from, department, deploy, derivation, descent, detour, deviate, dichotomize, digress, dimidiate, direct line, disperse, distaff side, divagate, divaricate, diverge, diversify, divide, division, effluent, el, elbow, electric railway, elevated, elevated railway, embankment, embassy, estate, executive office, expand, extend, extraction, faction, family, fan, fan out, feeder, feeder line, fellowship, female line, filiation, fission, flagellum, flare, flowing stream, fluviation, fork, fresh, freshet, frond, furcate, furcula, furculum, genotype, genus, gill, grade, gravity-operated railway, groin, group, grouping, halve, hand, head, heading, headquarters, heel, home office, hook, horse railway, house, imp, in half, inguen, joint, junction, kill, kin, kingdom, label, lazy stream, leg, legation, level, light railroad, limb, line, line of descent, lineage, link, lobe, lobule, local, lodge, main line, main office, male line, meandering stream, member, metro, midchannel, midstream, millstream, monorail, moving road, navigable river, office, offset, offshoot, open, open up, order, organ, organization, outspread, outstretch, overgrow, overrun, part, party, persuasion, phylum, pigeonhole, pinion, position, post, predicament, prong, race, racing stream, rack railway, rack-and-pinion railway, rail, rail line, railroad, railway, ramage, ramification, ramify, rank, rating, religious order, river, rivulet, roadbed, roadway, rubric, run, rundle, runlet, runnel, runner, sarment, schism, school, scion, sect, sectarism, section, seed, segment, sept, series, service, set, sheer, shift, shoot, shop, side, sidetrack, siding, sike, slip, society, spear, spear side, species, spill stream, spin-off, spindle side, splay, split in two, spraddle, sprangle, sprawl, spray, spread, spread like wildfire, spread out, sprig, sprit, sprout, spur, station, status, stem, stirps, stock, stolon, strain, stratum, stream, stream action, streamlet, street railway, streetcar line, study, subclass, subdivide, subdivision, subfamily, subgenus, subgroup, subkingdom, suborder, subsidiary, subspecies, subterranean river, subtribe, subway, succession, sucker, superclass, superfamily, superorder, superspecies, swerve, switch, switchback, sword side, tack, tail, tendril, terminal, terminus, thallus, ticket office, title, track, tram, tramline, transect, trend, trestle, tribe, tributary, trident, trifurcate, trolley line, trunk, trunk line, tube, turn, turn aside, turnout, twig, underground, unfold, variety, vary, veer, version, wadi, watercourse, waterway, widen, wing, wishbone, zag, zig, zigzag