arboreal

[ahr-bawr-ee-uhl, -bohr-]

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

/ ɑːˈbɔːrɪəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a tree

2. living in or among trees

   arboreal monkeys

arboreal

1. Relating to or living in trees.

Other Word Forms

• arboreally adverb
• subarboreal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of arboreal¹

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

Example Sentences

The bizarre single-tree fire has now become an almost weeklong firefight in Coos County, Ore., as the hot spot continues to burn approximately 280 feet up on the side of the arboreal giant.

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

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In closing speeches, prosecutors said the pair carried out the "arboreal equivalent of mindless thuggery", while the men's barristers reiterated their innocence.

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The best remains the fragrant and fruitful orange tree, the original arboreal icon that fetched newcomers here by the tens of thousands.

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There are lots of unanswered questions, Boroditsky said, and the clearance has created so much uproar that the city plans to bring in an independent third-party “arboreal expert” to do their own evaluation.

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Related Words

• arborescent 
• arborous