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arboretum

American  
[ahr-buh-ree-tuhm] / ˌɑr bəˈri təm /

noun

plural

arboretums, arboreta

  1. a plot of land on which many different trees or shrubs are grown for study or display.

arboretum British  
/ ˌɑːbəˈriːtəm /

noun

  1. a place where trees or shrubs are cultivated for their scientific or educational interest

"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

Etymology

Origin of arboretum

1830–40; < Latin arborētum a plantation of trees, equivalent to arbor tree + -ētum suffix denoting place where a given plant grows ( alameda )

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.

Bombaa also complains about how ordinary Nairobians, often scrabbling to make a living, have to pay to enter some of their city’s most beautiful locations such as the arboretum or Karura forest.

From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024

Peterson tasted his first pawpaw, from a wild growing tree, in his university's arboretum as a graduate student studying plant genetics.

From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024

As curator of the online arboretum “Trees of LA,” Carrie celebrates the power of jacarandas on Instagram to make Angelenos aware of other remarkable trees that flower simultaneously, such as vibrant orange coral trees.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2024

Azalea Way, a major path in the heart of the arboretum, guides walkers for three-quarters of a mile past cherry trees in addition to dogwoods, magnolias and glowing displays of azaleas.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 12, 2024

But then I would remember when we were little, hanging out in the lab or the arboretum while our mothers worked.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

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.