BRANCH

arm, branch, limb

(noun) any projection that is thought to resemble a human arm; “the arm of the record player”; “an arm of the sea”; “a branch of the sewer”

branch, subdivision, arm

(noun) a division of some larger or more complex organization; “a branch of Congress”; “botany is a branch of biology”; “the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages”

branch

(noun) a stream or river connected to a larger one

outgrowth, branch, offshoot, offset

(noun) a natural consequence of development

branch

(noun) a division of a stem, or secondary stem arising from the main stem of a plant

branch, leg, ramification

(noun) a part of a forked or branching shape; “he broke off one of the branches”

branch, ramify, fork, furcate, separate

(verb) divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork; “The road forks”

ramify, branch

(verb) grow and send out branches or branch-like structures; “these plants ramify early and get to be very large”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Proper noun

Branch

A surname.

A tiny city in Franklin County, Arkansas.

An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Acadia Parish parish, Louisiana.

An unincorporated community in Sweetwater Township, Lake County, Michigan.

An unincorporated community in Camden County, Missouri.

An unincorporated community in Collin County, Texas.

An unincorporated community in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin.

A town in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Etymology

Noun

branch (plural branches)

The woody part of a tree arising from the trunk and usually dividing.

Any of the parts of something that divides like the branch of a tree.

(chiefly, Southern US) A creek or stream which flows into a larger river. (compare Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia run, and New York and New England brook.)

(geometry) One of the portions of a curve that extends outwards to an indefinitely great distance.

A location of an organization with several locations.

A line of family descent, in distinction from some other line or lines from the same stock; any descendant in such a line.

(Mormonism) A local congregation of the LDS Church that is not large enough to form a ward; see Wikipedia article on ward in LDS church.

An area in business or of knowledge, research.

(nautical) A certificate given by Trinity House to a pilot qualified to take navigational control of a ship in British waters.

(computing) A sequence of code that is conditionally executed.

(computing) A group of related files in a source control system, including for example source code, build scripts, and media such as images.

(rail transport) A branch line.

Synonyms

• (part of a tree): bough, tillow, twig; see also tree

Verb

branch (third-person singular simple present branches, present participle branching, simple past and past participle branched)

(intransitive) To arise from the trunk or a larger branch of a tree.

(intransitive) To produce branches.

(ambitransitive) To (cause to) divide into separate parts or subdivisions.

(intransitive, computing) To jump to a different location in a program, especially as the result of a conditional statement.

(transitive, colloquial) To discipline (a union member) at a branch meeting.

Source: Wiktionary

Branch, n.; pl. Branches (. Etym: [OE. braunche, F. branche, fr. LL. branca claw of a bird or beast of prey; cf. Armor. brank branch, bough.]

1. (Bot.)

Definition: A shoot or secondary stem growing from the main stem, or from a principal limb or bough of a tree or other plant.

2. Any division extending like a branch; any arm or part connected with the main body of thing; ramification; as, the branch of an antler; the branch of a chandelier; a branch of a river; a branch of a railway. Most of the branches , or streams, were dried up. W. Irving.

3. Any member or part of a body or system; a distinct article; a section or subdivision; a department. "Branches of knowledge." Prescott. It is a branch and parcel of mine oath. Shak.

4. (Geom.)

Definition: One of the portions of a curve that extends outwards to an indefinitely great distance; as, the branches of an hyperbola.

5. A line of family descent, in distinction from some other line or lines from the same stock; any descendant in such a line; as, the English branch of a family. His father, a younger branch of the ancient stock. Carew.

6. (Naut.)

Definition: A warrant or commission given to a pilot, authorizing him to pilot vessels in certain waters. Branches of a bridle, two pieces of bent iron, which bear the bit, the cross chains, and the curb.

– Branch herring. See Alewife.

– Root and branch , totally, wholly.

Syn.

– Bough; limb; shoot; offshoot; twig; sprig.

Branch, a.

Definition: Diverging from, or tributary to, a main stock, line, way, theme, etc.; as, a branch vein; a branch road or line; a branch topic; a branch store.

Branch, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Branched; p. pr. & vb. n. Branching.]

1. To shoot or spread in branches; to separate into branches; to ramify.

2. To divide into separate parts or subdivision. To branch off, to form a branch or a separate part; to diverge.

– To branch out, to speak diffusively; to extend one's discourse to other topics than the main one; also, to enlarge the scope of one's business, etc. To branch out into a long disputation. Spectator.

Branch, v. t.

1. To divide as into branches; to make subordinate division in.

2. To adorn with needlework representing branches, flowers, or twigs. The train whereof loose far behind her strayed, Branched with gold and pearl, most richly wrought. Spenser.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

BRANCH

Proper noun

Etymology

Noun

Synonyms

Verb

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