arbor vitae

[ahr-ber vahy-tee]

noun

Anatomy.

1. a treelike appearance in a vertical section of the cerebellum, due to the arrangement of the white and gray nerve tissues.

arbor vitae

/ ˈvaɪtiː, ˈɑːbɔː ˈviːtaɪ /

noun

1. any of several Asian and North American evergreen coniferous trees of the genera Thuja and Thujopsis, esp Thuja occidentalis, having tiny scalelike leaves and egglike cones See also red cedar

Word History and Origins

Origin of arbor vitae¹

C17: from New Latin, literally: tree of life