arbor

¹ American  

[ahr-ber] / ˈɑr bər /

especially British, arbour

noun

1. a leafy, shady recess formed by tree branches, shrubs, etc.

2. a latticework bower intertwined with climbing vines and flowers.

3. Obsolete. a grass plot; lawn; garden; orchard.

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arbor ² American  

[ahr-ber] / ˈɑr bər /

noun

1. Machinery.

   1. a bar, shaft, or axis that holds, turns, or supports a rotating cutting tool or grinding wheel, often having a tapered shank fitting tightly into the spindle of a machine tool.

   2. a beam, shaft, axle, or spindle.

2. Metallurgy. a reinforcing member of a core or mold.

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arbor ³ American  

[ahr-ber] / ˈɑr bər /

noun

Botany.

plural

arbores

1. a tree.

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arbor ¹ British  

/ ˈɑːbə /

noun

1. a rotating shaft in a machine or power tool on which a milling cutter or grinding wheel is fitted

2. a rotating shaft or mandrel on which a workpiece is fitted for machining

3. metallurgy a part, piece, or structure used to reinforce the core of a mould

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arbor ² British  

/ ˈɑːbə /

noun

1. the US spelling of arbour

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Other Word Forms

• arboresque
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of arbor¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English (h)erber, erba(i)re, arbere “(flower) garden, pleasure garden, herb garden,” Anglo-French (h)erber, Old French (h)erbier “grassy place, herb garden”; respelling with -or under the influence of arbor ³

Origin of arbor²

First recorded in 1650–60; from French, arbre “tree, axis,” from Latin arbor “tree, mast, (spear) shaft, oar”; respelling of earlier arber, arbre by association with arbor ³

Origin of arbor³

First recorded in 1660–70; from New Latin, Latin; see also arbor ² ( def. )

Explanation

An arbor is a garden structure on which plants and vines can grow. Sitting under an arbor can help you cool off when you're strolling through a garden on a hot, sunny day. You may have come across the word arbor in the context of a garden structure, like a trellis or pergola. However, if you've heard of the holiday known as "Arbor Day," you know that an arbor is also a tree. These two meanings come from two different roots: the wooden arch type of arbor comes from the Latin herba, "grass or herb," while the tree arbor comes directly from the Latin arbor. Simply enough, it means "tree."

Example Sentences

I felt the sense of possibility when I was leaving his house in Ann Arbor, a man on the edge of doing something no one like him has ever done before.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026

But once he made the jump to Ann Arbor, he knew that he was no longer in Cinderella country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

There was the 16-point lead lost in Ann Arbor.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

It was built around artist Ned Kahn’s existing 100-foot-long Rainbow Arbor sculpture with mist sprayers that create rainbows in sunlight as guests walk through.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

Back then, our family lived on a street called Shady Arbor Way, and our house was at the end of a cul-de-sac.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Related Words

• bed
• box
• counter
• furniture
• shelf