a division or subdivision of the stem or axis of a tree, shrub, or other plant.
a limb, offshoot, or ramification of any main stem.
the branches of a deer's antlers.
any member or part of a body or system; a section or subdivision.
the various branches of learning.
a local operating division of a business, library, or the like.
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.
a tributary stream or any stream that is not a large river or a bayou.
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. branch water.
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.
Computers. a point in a computer program where the computer selects one of two or more instructions to execute, according to some criterion.
Nautical. a warrant or license permitting a pilot to navigate in certain waters.
to divide into branches or sections.
to adorn with needlework; decorate with embroidery, as in textile fabrics.
a secondary woody stem arising from the trunk or bough of a tree or the main stem of a shrub
a subdivision of the stem or root of any other plant
an offshoot or secondary part
a branch of a deer's antlers
a subdivision or subsidiary section of something larger or more complex
branches of learning
branch of the family
( as modifier )
a branch office
any small stream
maths a section of a curve separated from the rest of the curve by discontinuities or special points
Also called: jump. computing a departure from the normal sequence of programmed instructions into a separate program area
an alternative route in an atomic or nuclear decay series
(intr) (of a tree or other plant) to produce or possess branches
(of stems, roots, etc) to grow and diverge (from another part)
to divide or be divided into subsidiaries or offshoots
to diverge from the main way, road, topic, etc
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.
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.
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English bra(u)nche, from Anglo-French; Old French branche, from Late Latin branca “paw,” of uncertain origin
< French -branche, New Latin -branchia, from Latin branchiae “gills” ( see branchia ( def. ))
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.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A new branch of Downing Street - known as No 10 North - is already up and running, according to a source close to new PM Andy Burnham.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
The foundation’s board chair, Elizabeth Spalding, is a visiting fellow at a graduate school branch of Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C.;
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
Michael Brown, a venture capitalist and an early leader of the Pentagon’s Silicon Valley branch, the Defense Innovation Unit, gives the department an “incomplete” grade on its transformation efforts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
From there, the three continued, one branch at a time, to a vantage point within feet of the crown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
We look up into the tree, and perched on a branch is not a bird.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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 Grey, George
It’s the largest bank in the state by number of branches and fifth-largest by total assets.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
Boreal forests are also supposed to burn on an infrequent basis, in order to open up certain pine cones and spread their seeds, or to clear out lower tree branches.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
This allowed them to build a phylogenetic tree, a model that maps relationships between species and estimates when different branches separated over time.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
That tree still stands with its major branches and half its trunk lopped off.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
That fumbling page had unnerved me, just as much as the ceaseless tattering of branches and the gusting winds that had howled in my ears as I’d trudged across the city that night.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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
He later branched out into other investments, including cryptocurrency and wine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 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
Morris branched out in to light entertainment with The Animal Roadshow and Animal Country, alongside Sarah Kennedy.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 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
Described by RAU as a "time-capsule record of biodiversity in the UK", researchers said the possibilities are endless, branching out into climate change, habitat management, genetics, and much more.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
After a short stint in his brother's plastics business, he launched the flagship family conglomerate that bears his name in 1988 by branching out into the export trade.
From Barron's ● May 14, 2026
Wags are calling it the “lobstermander” because the new House District 7 extends like a crustacean with the tail in heavily Democratic northern Virginia to the body stretching downstate and branching into two claws.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026
Nerve cells engineered to produce high amounts of FTL1 developed simplified structures, forming short, single extensions instead of the complex, branching networks seen in healthy cells.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 5, 2026
All about them as they lay hung the darkness, hollow and immense, and they were oppressed by the loneliness and vastness of the dolven halls and endlessly branching stairs and passages.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
