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• branch
  branch

  noun

  a division or subdivision of the stem or axis of a tree, shrub, or other plant.
• -branch
  -branch

  a combining form for forming nouns and adjectives that denote gill formations or animals having gill formations.
• branch-
  branch-

  combining form

  (in zoology) indicating gills

branch

¹ American  

[branch, brahnch] / bræntʃ, brɑntʃ /

noun

• branches
  plural

1. a division or subdivision of the stem or axis of a tree, shrub, or other plant.

   Synonyms:

   shoot, offshoot

2. a limb, offshoot, or ramification of any main stem.

   the branches of a deer's antlers.

3. any member or part of a body or system; a section or subdivision.

   the various branches of learning.

4. a local operating division of a business, library, or the like.

5. a line of family descent stemming from a particular ancestor, as distinguished from some other line or lines from the same stock; a division of a family.

6. a tributary stream or any stream that is not a large river or a bayou.

7. Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. branch water.

8. Linguistics. (in the classification of related languages within a family) a category of a lower order than a subfamily and of a higher order than a subbranch or a group, as the Germanic branch of Indo-European.

9. Computers. a point in a computer program where the computer selects one of two or more instructions to execute, according to some criterion.

10. Nautical. a warrant or license permitting a pilot to navigate in certain waters.

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verb (used without object)

• branches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• branched,
  past participle,  past
• branching
  present participle

1. to put forth branches; spread in branches.

2. to divide into separate parts or subdivisions; diverge.

   The main road branches off to the left.

   Synonyms:

   subdivide, ramify

3. to expand or extend, as business activities.

   The bank has plans to branch throughout the state.

verb (used with object)

• branches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• branched,
  past participle,  past
• branching
  present participle

1. to divide into branches or sections.

2. to adorn with needlework; decorate with embroidery, as in textile fabrics.

verb phrase

1. branch out to expand or extend, as business activities, pursuits, interests, etc..

   The business is branching out into computers.

-branch ² American  

1. a combining form for forming nouns and adjectives that denote gill formations or animals having gill formations.

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branch ¹ British  

/ brɑːntʃ /

noun

1. a secondary woody stem arising from the trunk or bough of a tree or the main stem of a shrub

2. a subdivision of the stem or root of any other plant

3. an offshoot or secondary part

   a branch of a deer's antlers

4. 1. a subdivision or subsidiary section of something larger or more complex

      branches of learning

      branch of the family

   2. ( as modifier )

      a branch office

5. any small stream

6. maths a section of a curve separated from the rest of the curve by discontinuities or special points

7. Also called: jump.  computing a departure from the normal sequence of programmed instructions into a separate program area

8. an alternative route in an atomic or nuclear decay series

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verb

1. (intr) (of a tree or other plant) to produce or possess branches

2. (of stems, roots, etc) to grow and diverge (from another part)

3. to divide or be divided into subsidiaries or offshoots

4. to diverge from the main way, road, topic, etc

branch- ² British  

combining form

1. (in zoology) indicating gills

   lamellibranch

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branch Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing branch

• olive branch
• root and branch

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Usage

What is a basic definition of branch? A branch is a protruding part of a tree, something that juts out from a main part, or a division of a group or organization. The word branch has many other senses as a noun and a verb. For most trees, underground roots connect to the thick trunk that extends toward the sky. Jutting out of the trunk are branches, smaller limbs of the tree. Main branches, also called boughs, have smaller extensions with leaves on them. These are also called branches, but more often called twigs.

• Used in a sentence: I watched my cat climb the branches of the oak tree. 

Branch also refers to similar offshoots from objects that aren’t trees.

• Used in a sentence: The rope got tangled in the branches of the buck’s antlers. 

In a more figurative sense, branch is used to mean a division of a main group or organization.

• Real-life examples: The Army, Navy, and Air Force are three major branches of the United States military. Botany, zoology, and microbiology are three major branches of biology.
• Used in a sentence: We learned in history class that the government is divided into three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.

Synonym Usage

Branch, bough, limb refer to divisions of a tree. Branch is general, meaning either a large or a small division. Bough refers only to the larger branches: a bough loaded with apples. A limb is a large primary division of a tree trunk or of a bough: to climb out on a limb.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• underbranch
  noun
• outbranch
  verb (used with object)
• branchless
  adjective
• branchlike
  adjective
• branchy
  adjective
• interbranch
  adjective
• multibranched
  adjective
• unbranched
  adjective
• unbranching
  adjective
• well-branched
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• branches
  plural

Participles

• branching
  present
• branched
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• branch
  simple
• branches
  simple
• have branched
  perfect
• has branched
  perfect
• am branching
  progressive
• are branching
  progressive
• is branching
  progressive
• have been branching
  perfect progressive
• has been branching
  perfect progressive

Past

• branched
  simple
• had branched
  perfect
• was branching
  progressive
• were branching
  progressive
• had been branching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will branch
  simple
• will have branched
  perfect
• will be branching
  progressive
• will have been branching
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of branch¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bra(u)nche, from Anglo-French; Old French branche, from Late Latin branca “paw,” of uncertain origin

Origin of -branch²

< French -branche, New Latin -branchia, from Latin branchiae “gills” ( see branchia ( def. ))

Explanation

A branch can mean the "arm" of a tree, or any other kind of arm––a branch of a bank is a division of the bank. Branch also works as a verb. If you play soccer every day after school and you want to "branch out" athletically, you might consider playing tennis. You might turn onto a little road that branches off a main one. A branch of a river is called a tributary.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

branch branch- branches branched branching

On the banks of the Waal, the Dutch branch of the Rhine, swimmers are sunning themselves on a Nijmegen beach that didn't exist before the river level dropped a few months ago.

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

Nearly the entire statistical signal was coming from a single branch of the insect family tree.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

One particularly odd branch of this element of British culture is the longtime existence of joke political candidates, even whole political parties.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026

President Vladimir Putin gave it his blessing last year, taking part by video link in the opening of an A7 branch office.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

His father’s left boot was dangling by its shoelace from a lower branch.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Fruticose lichens have thalli that are branch-, cup- or club-like, imparting the look of tiny shrubs.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 22, 2021

We broke of many specimens of the branch- or tree-coral, which seemed to be in full vigour of life and activity.

From Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia, Volume 2 by George Grey

"What started as a discovery in a single marine worm turned out to be a widespread capability shared by animals from very different branches of the tree of life."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

After a campaign over hundreds of years saw rivers tamed for commercial use, he urged a shift back "toward natural rivers featuring meandering branches and floodplains that retain water across the landscape".

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

In the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, Congress can find a definitive answer based on a longstanding agreement between the political branches backed by a century of precedent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Each group branches off as they meet the sand with enough equipment to establish a civilization for one night.

From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026

In the branches of the tallest yew perched three ravens, watching him.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

EssilorLuxottica has also branched into hearing correction, with its Nuance Audio integrating hearing aids into eyeglasses frames.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

I’ll always prefer Mom’s barbecued chicken, fried chicken and French fries, but I have branched out, trying an array of new, relatively tamer foods, ranging from albacore tuna to zucchini.

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

"You can imagine the whole system as a finely branched power grid that becomes increasingly damaged with age: connections break down and currents stall," explains Dr. Maria Ermolaeva, the study's lead author.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 11, 2026

Twinings, for example, branched out into selling sparkling fruity tea in cans in 2024, while kombucha is now available in some supermarket meal deals.

From BBC ● May 8, 2026

At that point it bent left and went down into the lowlands of the Yale making for Stock; but a lane branched right, winding through a wood of ancient oak-trees on its way to Woodhall.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

To counter that, Proya Cosmetics has been branching out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

One person sits in concentrated silence at each window, another perched in the back of the pick-up truck, ducking for the occasional limb branching from trees which rise around us.

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

Smart, entertaining and surprising, they offer reassurance that adventurous playwriting is not only alive and well but branching out into uncharted territory.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

The Ledi Geraru findings add to a growing picture of early human evolution as a crowded, branching story.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026

Above us, the wind blew and the branching shadows rearranged themselves on our skin.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

Related Words

• arm
• bureau
• chapter
• division
• member
• office
• section
• subsidiary
• wing