branched
branched — verb
- branchedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- brancheds3rd person singular
- branchedding-ing form
- brancheddedpast simple
1. to send out new stems from the main trunk or stem of a plant
to send out new stems from the main trunk or stem of a plant
The old oak tree behind the school branched out in every direction, shading the whole playground.
intransitive with 'out': branch out + direction
After the first spring rain, the young rose bush started to branch from the main stem.
The gardener was happy to see the cherry tree branching freely after the winter.
branch + adverb: branch freely
Camille pruned the rose bush, and the main stem branched into several new shoots.
- branch out
- branch from
- branch freely
- prune
to cut back branches, the opposite action
Grammar Patterns
branch + out
branch + from + noun
Usage Note
Frequently used with 'out' to suggest the branches spreading in multiple directions. Often used in descriptions of plant growth in spring.
Common Mistakes
2. to divide away from a main route, path, or direction, forming a separate part
to divide away from a main route, path, or direction, forming a separate part
A narrow dirt path branched off from the main hiking trail and led down toward the river.
branch off from + route
The highway branched into two separate roads just past the old train station.
branch into + parts
Several smaller streams branched from the large river during the rainy season.
The main gas pipe branched near the kitchen wall, sending one line to the stove and another to the heater.
concrete physical use — branching pipes
After the meeting, the discussion branched into several smaller group conversations.
metaphorical use: discussion branching
- branch off
- branch into
- branch from
- branch away
Grammar Patterns
branch + off + from + noun
branch + into + plural noun
Usage Note
Common with 'off' when describing the point of separation from the main route, and 'into' when listing the resulting divisions. Also used metaphorically for conversations, projects, or topics.
Common Mistakes
branch out
phrasal verbto start doing something new or different in addition to your usual activities, especially in business or personal development
The small bakery branched out into selling sandwiches and coffee, and soon doubled its customers.
Tanvi decided to branch out from graphic design and take a course in animation.
branched — noun
1. a part or division of a larger subject, group, family, or system
a part or division of a larger subject, group, family, or system
Linguistics is a branch of the humanities that studies how human languages work.
branch of [field]: part of an academic subject
The younger branch of the Watanabe family moved to Canada in the 1990s.
Biochemistry is a growing branch of science that combines biology and chemistry.
branch of science
The executive branch of the government is responsible for putting laws into action.
- branch of science
- branch of knowledge
- branch of the family
- branch of government
Grammar Patterns
a branch of + noun
Usage Note
Subject is often an academic field, a family lineage, or a structural division of a larger system. Cannot be used for physical parts of objects.
2. a local office, shop, or division that belongs to a larger company or organizati
a local office, shop, or division that belongs to a larger company or organization
The bank has its main office in Taipei and branches in every major city across the island.
Kevin works at the downtown branch of the public library, helping people find books every day.
branch of [organization]
The local branch of the charity organization runs food drives every winter for families in need.
Adisa opened a new branch of his restaurant chain in the shopping district last month.
open a branch: common business collocation
- bank branch
- local branch
- main branch
- open a branch
- branch office
- branch manager
- office
more general; a branch can be an office but not all offices are branches
- outlet
for retail stores specifically, more informal
- subsidiary
formal; a separate legal entity owned by a parent company
- headquarters
the main central office, opposite of a local branch
Grammar Patterns
local branch
main branch
bank branch
Usage Note
Subject is typically an organization (bank, library, store, company, charity). 'Main branch' refers to the headquarters; 'local branch' is a smaller outpost.
Common Mistakes
3. a woody part that extends outward from the main stem of a tree and produces the
a woody part that extends outward from the main stem of a tree and produces the tree's foliage, blossoms, and seeds
During the storm, a large branch of the maple tree snapped and fell onto the parked car.
The children hung a rope swing from the lowest branch of the old apple tree in the yard.
concrete physical use: hang from a branch
Sayaka climbed onto a thick branch of the banyan tree and sat reading her book in the shade.
The gardener cut off the dead branches so the tree could grow more healthily in spring.
Birds built a small nest in a high branch of the cherry tree near the kitchen window.
branch as location for animals
- tree branch
- thick branch
- low branch
- dead branch
- broken branch
- climb a branch
Grammar Patterns
tree branch
on a branch
branch of a tree
Common Mistakes
4. a section of a river, road, or railway line that splits away from the main route
a section of a river, road, or railway line that splits away from the main route
A small branch of the river flows through the village and provides water for the rice fields.
river branch: natural water channel
The main road divides into two branches just north of the train station.
The left branch of the hiking trail leads to a hidden lake that few people know about.
A railway branch carries goods from the port directly to the factory outside the city.
railway branch: transport infrastructure
- river branch
- road branch
- branch line
- branch of the river
- left/right branch
- main route
the primary road or river from which branches depart
Grammar Patterns
branch of + river/road
river branch
road branch
Usage Note
For roads and paths, 'fork' can sometimes replace 'branch'. For rivers, 'tributary' is the technical term, but 'branch' is more common in everyday speech.
5. a subdivision that branches away from a main vein, artery, or nerve to supply ne
a subdivision that branches away from a main vein, artery, or nerve to supply nearby body tissues
The surgeon carefully identified each branch of the artery before making the first cut.
medical domain: branch of artery
A tiny nerve branch runs from the main spinal nerve down to the muscles of the left hand.
The doctor explained that a blocked branch of the vein could cause swelling in the lower leg.
An X-ray showed that one of the smaller branches of the lung's airway was inflamed.
branch of airway: anatomy of the lungs
- branch of the artery
- nerve branch
- blood vessel branch
- arterial branch
- vein branch
- ramification
formal technical term for the branching structure of nerves or vessels
- offshoot
less formal, also used outside medicine
Grammar Patterns
branch of + artery/nerve/vein
Usage Note
This sense is most common in medical or biological writing. In everyday conversation, 'blood vessel' or 'nerve' alone is more natural.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/3
All four words describe parts of a tree, but they differ in size and formality. 'Branch' is the most general and common term — it refers to any woody outgrowth from the trunk, from fairly small to very large. 'Twig' refers to the smallest, thinnest end of a branch, often the part furthest from the trunk; it is an everyday word for the tiny pieces that fall off trees. 'Bough' is a more literary or formal word for a large main branch, often used in poetry or nature writing (e.g. 'the owl sat on a sturdy bough'). 'Limb' also describes a large branch, similar to 'bough', but is more common when talking about damage or removal — arborists talk about 'limb removal' rather than 'bough removal'. For everyday situations, 'branch' is the safest choice.
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'branch' entered English around the 1200s from Old French 'branche', which came from Late Latin 'branca' — originally meaning a foot or paw, but later used for the branching shape of a tree. The verb form developed in the 1300s, and the sense of dividing or diverging (for roads, rivers, organizations) grew over the following centuries.
First known use
13th century
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb