arbor vitae

- 2 dictionary results

ar⋅bor vi⋅tae

[ahr-ber vahy-tee]

–noun Anatomy.

a treelike appearance in a vertical section of the cerebellum, due to the arrangement of the white and gray nerve tissues.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ar·bor·vi·tae also ar·bor vi·tae (är'bər-vī'tē)

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n.

1. Any of several North American or eastern Asian evergreen trees or shrubs of the genus Thuja, having flattened branchlets with opposite, scalelike leaves and small cones. They are grown as ornamentals and for timber.
2. Any similar plant of the genus Platycladus or Thujopsis. Also called thuja.
Anatomy The white nerve tissue of the cerebellum, which has a treelike outline in a median section.

[From New Latin arbor vītae, tree of life : Latin arbor, tree + Latin vītae, genitive of vīta, life; see vital.]

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