From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbranchbranch1 /brɑːntʃ $ bræntʃ/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] 1 
of a treeHBP a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk (=main stem) and that has leaves, fruit, or smaller branches growing from it → limb After the storm, the ground was littered with twigs and branches. The topmost branches were full of birds.2 of a business/shop/company etcIN A LOCAL AREABB a local business, shop etc that is part of a larger business etc The bank has branches all over the country. a branch office in Boston She now works in our Denver branch. Where’s their nearest branch? They’re planning to open a branch in St. Louis next year. Have you met our branch manager, Mr. Carlson?3 of governmentOF AN ORGANIZATIONSSO a part of a government or other organization that deals with one particular part of its work → department All branches of government are having to cut costs.the executive/judicial/legislative branch (=the three main parts of the US government)4 of a subjectOF A SUBJECTAREA OF KNOWLEDGE, DUTIES, STUDY ETC one part of a large subject of study or knowledge → fielda branch of mathematics/physics/biology etc5 of a familyOF A FAMILYSSF a group of members of a family who all have the same ancestors → side the wealthy South American branch of the family6 of a river/road etcSMALLER PARTPART a smaller less important part of a river, road, or railway that leads away from the larger more important part of it The rail company may have to close the branch line to Uckfield.
of a treeHBP a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk (=main stem) and that has leaves, fruit, or smaller branches growing from it → limb After the storm, the ground was littered with twigs and branches. The topmost branches were full of birds.2 of a business/shop/company etcIN A LOCAL AREABB a local business, shop etc that is part of a larger business etc The bank has branches all over the country. a branch office in Boston She now works in our Denver branch. Where’s their nearest branch? They’re planning to open a branch in St. Louis next year. Have you met our branch manager, Mr. Carlson?3 of governmentOF AN ORGANIZATIONSSO a part of a government or other organization that deals with one particular part of its work → department All branches of government are having to cut costs.the executive/judicial/legislative branch (=the three main parts of the US government)4 of a subjectOF A SUBJECTAREA OF KNOWLEDGE, DUTIES, STUDY ETC one part of a large subject of study or knowledge → fielda branch of mathematics/physics/biology etc5 of a familyOF A FAMILYSSF a group of members of a family who all have the same ancestors → side the wealthy South American branch of the family6 of a river/road etcSMALLER PARTPART a smaller less important part of a river, road, or railway that leads away from the larger more important part of it The rail company may have to close the branch line to Uckfield.Examples from the Corpus
branch• He went on to experiment with how far a branch could be extended in any one direction before the tree tipped over.• Trigonometry is a branch of mathematics.• a branch of the Missouri River• You can deposit money at any branch of the Northwest Pacific Bank.• More details can be obtained from a Barclays branch.• The Constitution of the Brothers branch is presently being re-cast.• The President is in charge of the executive branch of our government.• Her company has branches in Dallas and Chicago.• Our store has branches all over the country.• And so does riding a bicycle, with many protruding branches to track and avoid.• I'm sorry, we can't change foreign currency. We're only a small branch, you see.• The trigger fish feeds on coral, crunching the stony branches and extracting the little polyps.• I was told to call the branch office in New Orleans.• A swing hung from the branch of a tree.• By craning his neck, Gao Yang caught a glimpse of sky through a fork in the branches.• He's interested in the branch of international law that deals with war crimes.• The length of the branches indicates the relative distance between the species.• She could walk without ever slipping on railroad tracks, across the tops offences, on swaying tree branches.• Jimmy's from the West Virginia branch of the family.topmost branches• Only the topmost branches were still gilded by daylight, the illuminated areas shrinking as the sun dropped below the misty horizon.• Across the street the topmost branches of the lime trees were tossing and swaying.branch manager• In future, less will be done through central training courses and more by individual branch managers.• This observation was made by a new branch manager in a securities firm.• New branch managers were generally promoted from the ranks for competence and achievements as individual contributors.• I realize now that when I accepted the position of branch manager that it is truly an exciting vocation.• He decided to find out more about the branch manager opportunity, and eventually chose to pursue it.• A letter to the branch manager only produced a restatement of the charging terms.• Few of the bookselling groups encourage their branch managers to attend, Waterstones being the exception.the executive/judicial/legislative branch• Although the legislative branch was clearly subservient to the executive, the Supreme Court exercised power independently.• Congress and the executive branch are often too immobilized by internal problems of political survival to take action on great national questions.• Before these committees existed, Congress had no way to evaluate the budget priorities given by the executive branch.• Legislatures are ineffectual, and real power is concentrated in the executive branch of government.• Instead they set out to ride roughshod over the legislative branch, attempting to govern without congress rather than with it.• The main reason for this growth was that Congress no longer trusted the executive branch to provide it with accurate information.a branch of mathematics/physics/biology etc• It's a branch of physics now basically.• Why do I refer to Euclidean geometry as a physical theory rather than a branch of mathematics?branch line• Away to the north, curving smoothly, stretched a branch line that Holly could see illuminated by the arc lights.• A branch line train took us to Aubagne where a coach picked us up for the journey up to the camp.• The building of branch lines could transform a previously struggling region.• Such branch lines are of course vulnerable to changes in output level or distribution policy of their users.• Then she went down the branch line to Port Penrhyn.• The branch line had survived for a few years as a single line until its final demise.• Manchester 765 seen operating here in Heaton Park, Manchester on a former tramway branch line into the park. 3.• Teviot Bridge near Roxburgh on the former St Boswells-Kelso-Tweedmouth branch line.branchbranch2 verb [intransitive] to divide into two or more smaller, narrower, or less important parts → fork When you reach the village green, the street branches into two. → branch off → branch out→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
branch• However, x 3 is not now required to be an integer so we can only branch on x 1.• Basically, I figured that this was my ticket to at least branching out a little bit.• The basic tree consists of a network branching out from an initial decision of whether or not to undertake the project.• The Journal has branched out into radio and television.• The lightning was the forked kind and it branched suddenly like a firework and yet like the limb of a blazing tree.• Turn off where the road branches to the right.• The small stems are irregularly branched, with the leaves arranged in two rows.branches into two• The debate correspondingly branches into two.• Then the line branches into two.From Longman Business Dictionarybranchbranch /brɑːntʃbræntʃ/ noun [countable]1an individual bank, shop, office etc that is part of a large organizationThe business has 170 branches throughout the UK.To talk to one of our specialist financial advisers, just contact your local branch.2a part of a government or a large organization that deals with one particular type of workThe executive and judicial branches of government would be totally separate.3British English a small local organization that is part of a TRADE UNIONSYNlocal AmEHe is a former chairman of the Belfast branch of the National Union of Journalists.She joined the strike support committee and started going to branch meetings.Origin branch1 (1200-1300) Old French branche, from Late Latin branca “animal's foot” 