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arboreal

American  
[ahr-bawr-ee-uhl, -bohr-] / ɑrˈbɔr i əl, -ˈboʊr- /

adjective

  1. of or relating to trees; treelike.

  2. Also living in or among trees.

  3. Zoology. adapted for living and moving about in trees, as the limbs and skeleton of opossums, squirrels, monkeys, and apes.


arboreal British  
/ ɑːˈbɔːrɪəl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or resembling a tree

  2. living in or among trees

    arboreal monkeys

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

arboreal Scientific  
/ är-bôrē-əl /
  1. Relating to or living in trees.


Other Word Forms

  • arboreally adverb
  • subarboreal adjective

Etymology

Origin of arboreal

First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin arbore(us) “of trees,” equivalent to arbor “tree” + -eus- -eous + -al 1

Explanation

If it has to do with trees, you can call it arboreal. Monkeys that live in trees are arboreal. The rings of a tree are an indication of arboreal age. The word arboreal comes from the Latin arboreus, which means "pertaining to trees." It's a word that refers not just to animals that live in trees, but also to anything that resembles the branching form of a tree — like a chandelier or a family geology drawn out. It even can be used to describe, as its Latin root suggests, something pertaining to trees. A Christmas tree shop is an arboreal wonderland. There are trees everywhere!

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Vocabulary lists containing arboreal

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The oldest known chameleon fossils date to the early Miocene, about 16 to 23 million years ago, long after many of their arboreal adaptations had appeared.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2025

Which understudy is ready to step onstage as our new arboreal star?

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2025

"Owning up to this arboreal equivalent of mindless thuggery would make them public enemy number one," Mr Wright said.

From BBC • May 7, 2025

As the researchers note, arboreal howlers are extremely slow-moving primates who are very careful about the way they exert their energy.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2024

Maybe it was a vestige of our arboreal past; we wanted to climb up and out of danger.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides