branch
branch / branch/ • n. a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk or from a bough. ∎ a lateral extension or subdivision extending from the main part of something, typically one extending from a river, road, or railway: a branch of the Susquehanna River. ∎ a division or office of a large business or organization, operating locally or having a particular function: he went to work at our Boston branch. ∎ a conceptual subdivision of something, esp. a family, group of languages, or a subject: a branch of mathematics called graph theory. ∎ Comput. a control structure in which one of several alternative sets of program statements is selected for execution.• v. [intr.] (of a road or path) divide. ∎ (of a tree or plant) bear or send out branches. ∎ (branch off) diverge from the main route or part: the road branched off at the town. ∎ (branch out) extend or expand one's activities or interests in a new direction: the company is branching out into Europe.DERIVATIVES: branch·let / -lit/ n.branch·like adj.branch·y adj.
