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arborist

American  
[ahr-ber-ist] / ˈɑr bər ɪst /

noun

  • arborists
    plural
  1. a specialist in the cultivation and care of trees and shrubs, including tree surgery, the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of tree diseases, and the control of pests.


arborist British  
/ ˈɑːbərɪst /

noun

  1. a specialist in the cultivation of trees

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of arborist

First recorded in 1570–80; arbor 3 + -ist

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.

See Examples For:

Araya, the arborist, outfitted Paloma Muñiz-Ochoa, 17, and Maia Atkinson, 17, then, one by one, taught them the leg technique to ascend prepositioned ropes to a branch 50 feet above ground.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 19, 2026

“It’s appropriate if you want to clean fast and you don’t care about the trees,” said arborist Nick Araya.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 19, 2026

According to the arborist, he threatened to cut the roots — something the arborist warned could kill the tree.

From MarketWatch May 28, 2026

Which is why you should have an arborist on speed dial.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 4, 2026

The arborist fires up the mulcher at the back of their truck.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson

You can then shop that list around to certified arborists who will do the actual work.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 4, 2026

First, he has transformed the 1.84-acre plot into a veritable oasis with the help of professional arborists who have planted a plethora of exotic trees throughout the front and back yards.

From MarketWatch Dec. 26, 2025

Still, arborists said residents can take several steps to improve their trees’ chances of recovery.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 24, 2025

In February, arborists arrived to cut down half a dozen trees.

From Slate Mar. 6, 2025

It was centrally located for miners, prospectors, farmers, arborists, and mobile scientists, who lived near or roamed throughout the locale.

From The Runaway Asteroid by Michael D. Cooper

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