tree
tree — noun
1. A large plant with one thick woody stem, called a trunk, and a spreading top of
A large plant with one thick woody stem, called a trunk, and a spreading top of branches covered in leaves.
Sahil planted an apple tree in his back garden last spring.
The old oak tree beside the school playground has stood for over a hundred years.
Sari climbed the tree to rescue her little cat from a high branch.
After the storm, fallen trees blocked the road into the village.
A large tree in our yard drops leaves all over the grass every autumn.
常見錯誤
2. A tall plant that looks like a tree and is commonly called one, but does not hav
A tall plant that looks like a tree and is commonly called one, but does not have a true woody trunk — for example, a palm tree or a banana tree.
Palm trees grow well along the coast of southern Taiwan.
Banana plants are not true trees, but people call them trees because of their height.
botanical distinction: tree-like but without woody trunk
Gabriela trimmed the dead leaves from the palm tree near the pool.
Reuben bought a tall indoor plant that looks like a small palm tree.
- palm
a specific type of arborescent plant, not a general synonym
用法筆記
Trees in this sense include palms, banana plants, and tree ferns — plants that reach tree-like height but have soft or non-woody stems instead of a hard trunk.
3. A diagram with one starting point and lines that branch out into smaller parts,
A diagram with one starting point and lines that branch out into smaller parts, used to show how things are related or organised — for instance, a family tree showing relatives, or a decision tree used in computing or business.
The teacher drew a family tree on the board to show how everyone is related.
collocation: family tree
In computer science class, Justin learned to create a parse tree for a simple sentence.
domain: computer science — parse tree
The company's management tree shows all the different departments and their leaders.
Roya used a decision tree to figure out which college course to choose.
用法筆記
Common in computing (parse tree, decision tree) and genealogy (family tree). The diagram always has a single root that splits into connected branches.
常見錯誤
tree — verb
1. To force an animal, especially one being hunted, to climb up a tree so that it c
To force an animal, especially one being hunted, to climb up a tree so that it cannot get away.
The hunters treed a frightened deer in the thick forest before nightfall.
Amira's dog treed a squirrel in the park and barked at it for ten minutes.
The cat treed by the neighbour's dog had to be rescued by the fire brigade.
During the hunt, the dogs treed a wild boar near the river.
文法句型
tree + [animal]
be treed + by [hunter/dog]
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive (e.g., 'The fox was treed by the hounds'). The animal is usually a small mammal or bird being pursued by dogs or hunters.
2. To put someone into a situation where they have no good way to escape or avoid a
To put someone into a situation where they have no good way to escape or avoid a difficult problem — similar to cornering them.
The reporter treed the politician outside the courthouse with difficult questions.
Élise felt completely treed when her boss asked about the missing report at the meeting.
figurative: feel treed — trapped in a situation
In the debate, Christopher treed his opponent with a question about the new policy.
The landlord treed the tenants with a surprise eviction notice and no time to move.
文法句型
tree + [person]
be treed + by [question/situation]
用法筆記
Figurative extension of verb sense 1 (hunting). Often used in journalism, debate, or competition contexts to describe putting someone in a position with no good options.
常見錯誤
3. To put a specially shaped object inside a shoe or boot so that it keeps its shap
To put a specially shaped object inside a shoe or boot so that it keeps its shape or stretches slightly — done as part of shoe care or maintenance.
After every long walk, Brandon treed his leather boots to keep their shape.
Jin bought a wooden shoetree to keep his dress shoes in good condition.
The cobbler always trees the shoes before putting them on display.
Asher made sure to tree his new loafers so the leather would not wrinkle.
- stretch
more general — stretching does not require a shoetree and can be done by other methods
文法句型
tree + [footwear]
用法筆記
This sense is rare in everyday conversation and mostly appears in shoemaking or shoe care contexts. A 'shoetree' (noun) is the tool used for this purpose.