arbor vitae

[ ahr-ber vahy-tee ]

noun

, Anatomy.

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

arbor vitae

/ ˈvaɪtiː; ˈɑːbɔː ˈviːtaɪ /

noun

1. any of several Asian and North American evergreen coniferous trees of the genera Thuja and Thujopsis, esp Thuja occidentalis, having tiny scalelike leaves and egglike cones See also red cedar

Word History and Origins

Origin of arbor vitae¹

C17: from New Latin, literally: tree of life

Example Sentences

While studying at Arbor Vitae School of Traditional Medicine in New York, I discovered this delicious herb deep in a Northeastern American forest.

From Salon

It’s the day when neighbors walked Arbor Vitae Street, holding homemade signs while competing in parking wars.

From Washington Post

Greenery is supplied by potted ivy and ferns hanging on the wall, along with 13 arbor vitae trees.

From New York Times

There's a robin's nest in the arbor vitae next to the house, with three larger, shinier blue eggs inside, and we take our chances.

From Salon

On Wednesday afternoon, five cars filled with grieving members of Wanda DeSelle’s family and friend group rolled into Madera’s Arbor Vitae cemetery.

From Los Angeles Times