arbor vitae

American  

[ahr-ber vahy-tee] / ˈɑr bər ˈvaɪ ti /

noun

Anatomy.

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

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arbor vitae British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of arbor vitae

C17: from New Latin, literally: tree of life

Example Sentences

Greenery is supplied by potted ivy and ferns hanging on the wall, along with 13 arbor vitae trees.

From New York Times • Jul. 9, 2020

There's a robin's nest in the arbor vitae next to the house, with three larger, shinier blue eggs inside, and we take our chances.

From Salon • May 9, 2020

The beds were made of layers of spruce and other fir branches spread on the ground and covered with the fragrant twigs of the arbor vitae.

From The Autobiography of a Journalist, Volume I by Stillman, William James

After I supposed them to be a failure, I set out an arbor vitae hedge directly across the raspberry bed, making some effort to destroy the canes so that the little cedars might grow.

From Success with Small Fruits by Roe, Edward Payson

Another species of arbor vitae is Thuja orientalis, known also as Biota orientalis.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 4 "Aram, Eugene" to "Arcueil" by Various