Wednesday 2 June 2010

A tree is something resembling a tree

Unlikely as it sounds, I recently got involved in a drunken discussion on the difference between a tree, a bush and a plant.

I Googled 'tree' on my smartphone and one of the first definitions I came across was:

Something constructed in the form of, or considered as resembling, a tree, consisting of a stem, or stock, and branches; as, a genealogical tree.

That's from the 1913 edition of Webster's.

Now I'm sober, I understand what the definition is driving at - that 'tree' is sometimes used metaphorically (or perhaps I mean analogously?).

But I have to say that defining a tree as something "in the form of... a tree" does not help resolve drunken arguments. And really, what else are dictionary definitions for?
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5 comments:

  1. mighty red pen22 June 2010 at 01:43

    You guys didn't happen to explore the difference between a bush and a shrub, did you? This came up the other day.

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  2. Writing Student23 September 2010 at 12:39

    You should have really intelligent friends to resort to a dictionary for solving their drunk debate! This is something I rarely have the luxury of being witness of =)

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  3. Anthony Souls29 January 2011 at 06:12

    How would you define a tree? :)

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  4. Kate W13 April 2011 at 16:56

    As in he was thinking of this because he needed a whizz? Just trying to understand the motive there - intensely for shrubbery and greenery hmm suspicious

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  5. Kate W13 April 2011 at 16:57

    Just thinking about motive for that intensively for greenery and close to a pub hmmm needs a whizz - definately. Telling!

    ReplyDelete