Christmas tree

Meaning

1. An evergreen tree (usually a conifer), or an artificial tree made to resemble this, which is typically decorated with lights and ornaments and often an angel or star at its tip, and used as a decoration during the Christmas holiday season.
2. (broadly, informal) Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
3. (broadly) Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
4. (broadly, slang) Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
5. (US, broadly, historical) Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
6. (broadly) Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
7. (broadly, slang) Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
8. (broadly) Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
9. (broadly) A Christmas party, especially one organized for (underprivileged) children by a charity, a school, etc.
10. (Australia) Often with a descriptive word: any of several shrubs or trees native to Australia which bloom in summer at the end of the year around Christmastime, and so may be used as a Christmas decoration; especially the fire tree or moodjar (Nuytsia floribunda).
11. (New-Zealand) Synonym of pohutukawa (“a coastal evergreen tree, Metrosideros excelsa, native to New Zealand and producing a brilliant display of red flowers with prominent stamens around Christmastime”)

Synonyms

flame tree

Ceratopetalum gummiferum

Christmas bush

Nuytsia floribunda

fire tree

Abies alba

Abies amabilis

amabilis fir

red silver fir

white fir

European silver fir

Pacific silver fir

-

wattle

production tree

acacia

Translations

arbre de Noël

🎄

Weihnachtsbaum

🎄

albero di Natale

🎄

árvore de Natal

🎄

árbol de Navidad

🎄

kerstboom

🎄

arbre de Nadal

🎄

Christbaum

🎄

sapin de Noël

🎄

Sapin de Noël

χριστουγεννιάτικο δέντρο

Noel ağacı

δένδρο των Χριστουγέννων

Kerstboom

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɹɪsməs tɹiː/

Etymology

PIE word
*dóru
[[File:Emoji u1f384.svg|thumb||200px|The emoji for Christmas tree: see the entry at 🎄.]]
From Christmas + tree, a calque of German Weynacht Baum (obsolete, 17th c.), Weihnachtsbaum, from Weynacht, Weihnacht (literary or poetic variant of Weihnachten (“Christmas”)) + -s- (genitive interfix) + Baum (“tree”). The custom of Christmas trees was adopted in the United Kingdom from Germany in the 19th century, having been popularized by their use by the royal family during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.
Sense 3 (“Christmas party”) refers to the fact that there is usually a Christmas tree (sense 1) at the event.