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arbor

 - 8 dictionary results

ar⋅bor

1[ahr-ber]
–noun
1. a leafy, shady recess formed by tree branches, shrubs, etc.
2. a latticework bower intertwined with climbing vines and flowers.
3. Obsolete. a grass plot; lawn; garden; orchard.
Also, especially British, arbour.


Origin:
1350–1400; ME (h)erber < AF, OF (h)erbier herbarium; resp. with -or under the influence of arbor 3

ar⋅bor

2[ahr-ber]
–noun
1. Machinery.
a. a bar, shaft, or axis that holds, turns, or supports a rotating cutting tool or grinding wheel, often having a tapered shank fitting tightly into the spindle of a machine tool. Compare mandrel.
b. a beam, shaft, axle, or spindle.
2. Metallurgy. a reinforcing member of a core or mold.

Origin:
1650–60; resp., by assoc. with arbor 3 , of earlier arber, arbre < F, OF < L arbor wooden beam or part in an olive press, tree

ar⋅bor

3[ahr-ber]
–noun, plural ar⋅bo⋅res [ahr-buh-reez] . Botany.
a tree.

Origin:
1660–70; < NL, L: tree.


ar⋅bo⋅resque, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To arbor
ar·bor 1   (är'bər)   
n.  A shady resting place in a garden or park, often made of rustic work or latticework on which plants, such as climbing shrubs or vines, are grown.

[Middle English erber, from Old French erbier, garden, from erbe, herb; see herb.]
ar·bor 2   (är'bər)   
n.  
  1. An axis or shaft supporting a rotating part on a lathe.

  2. A bar for supporting cutting tools.

  3. A spindle of a wheel, as in watches and clocks.

  4. pl. ar·bo·res (är'bə-rēz') A tree, as opposed to a shrub.


[French arbre, from Latin arbor, tree.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

arbor 
c.1300, herber, "herb garden," from O.Fr. erbier, from L. herba "grass, herb." Later "a grassy plot" (c.1325), "a shaded nook" (c.1350). Probably not from L. arbor "tree," though influenced by its spelling.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ar·bor
Pronunciation: 'är-b&r
Function: noun
: a branching anatomical structure resembling a tree
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

arbor ar·bor (är'bər)
n. pl. ar·bo·res (är'bə-rēz')
A treelike anatomical structure.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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