Oxford Dictionary English

    branch

    noun
    noun
    BrE BrE//brɑːntʃ//
    ; NAmE NAmE//bræntʃ//
    Rivers and lakes, Railway tracks and stations, Family background, Plants
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    of tree
  1. 1 a part of a tree that grows out from the main stem and on which leaves, flowers and fruit grow She climbed the tree and hid in the branches. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivetop, topmost, low, … verb + branchcut, prune, remove, … See full entry See related entries: Plants
    2.  of company
  2. 2 a local office or shop/store belonging to a large company or organization The bank has branches all over the country. Our New York branch is dealing with the matter. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecentral, high-street, local, … verb + branchestablish, open, set up, … branch + nounchairman, chief, manager, … See full entry
    3.  of government
  3. 3 a part of a government or other large organization that deals with one particular aspect of its work synonym department the anti-terrorist branch Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecentral, high-street, local, … verb + branchestablish, open, set up, … branch + nounchairman, chief, manager, … See full entry
    4.  of knowledge
  4. 4 a division of an area of knowledge or a group of languages the branch of computer science known as ‘artificial intelligence’
    5.  of river/road
  5. 5a smaller or less important part of a river, road, railway/railroad, etc. that leads away from the main part a branch of the Rhine a branch line (= a small line off a main railway line, often in country areas) Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivetop, topmost, low, … verb + branchcut, prune, remove, … See full entry See related entries: Rivers and lakes, Railway tracks and stations
    6.  of family
  6. 6a group of members of a family who all have the same ancestors My uncle's branch of the family emigrated to Canada. See related entries: Family background
    7.  Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French branche, from late Latin branca ‘paw’. Wordfinderrelationancestor, branch, descent, dynasty, family tree, genealogy, generation, inherit, relation, traceExtra examples The store is opening more local branches. the bare branches of a tree in winter Quantum analysis is a branch of statistics. Scotland Yard’s anti-terrorist branch swung into action. The aim is to bring together researchers from different branches of geography.Idioms
    root and branch
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    thoroughly and completely The government set out to destroy the organization root and branch. root-and-branch reforms
See branch in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishSee branch in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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