branch

«branch» in Mova's school dictionary: a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk and has… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

noun (a branch, branches); verb (branch, branches, branched, branching)

meaning for a pupil

1) A branch is a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk and has smaller twigs and leaves. tree →

2) A branch is one of the shops, offices or libraries that belong to the same company or group: a branch of a bank. tree →

3) A branch is a part of something bigger that splits off: a branch of a river, a branch of science. tree →

4) To branch (out) means to split into parts, or to start doing new things. tree →

sense in the lessons

In science trees are made of roots, a trunk, branches and leaves; branches hold leaves up to the sunlight. In maths a tree diagram has branches that show choices. In safety lessons: don't climb on thin or dead branches, which can break, and watch for falling branches in strong winds. In family history, a family tree has branches for each side of the family. Phrases: branch out, branch off, olive branch (a sign of peace), local branch.

examples

• The bird sat on a branch of the oak tree. tree →
• Don't climb on that thin branch; it might break. tree →
• Strong winds blew a big branch onto the road. tree →
• Our bank has a branch in the high street. tree →
• Biology is a branch of science. tree →
• The path branches into two near the river. tree →
• Mum's side is one branch of our family tree. tree →
• The library has a new branch near our school. tree →
• ‘Oh, just a little branch sticking out. tree →

note

Plural: branches (add -es). A twig is a small, thin branch. «Branch off» means split away: «a small road branches off the main road». In a maths tree diagram, each branch shows one possible choice or result.

In the corpora

• The didgeridoo comes from Aboriginal Australians of northern Australia, traditionally made from a branch hollowed by termites; skilled players use circular breathing.
• Elephants sometimes use tools, such as a stick to scratch an itch or a leafy branch to swat flies.
• When a perching bird bends its legs, tendons pull its toes tight round the branch, so it can sleep without falling off.
• Gorillas and other great apes build a new nest of leaves and branches every night, or of straw in a zoo.
• New climbing frames, ropes, branches and hiding places are enrichment too, because new paths keep animals active and curious.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «branch» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.