Definition of bough

boughnoun

cành cây

/baʊ//baʊ/

The word "bough" derives from the Old English word "būgh," which originally referred to a stronghold, a fortified place, or a fortified tree branch used for defensive purposes. The Old English word, in turn, comes from the Germanic word *būhan, which has its roots in the Proto-Indo-European root *bheug-, meaning "to bend" or "to curve." It's uncertain when the meaning of "bough" shifted from a defensive branch to simply a large branch of a tree. Some linguists suggest it could have developed when people started using large branches to prop up fortifications or as a natural defense mechanism. Others suggest that it could have been a result of everyday usage, where people began to refer to large tree branches as "boughs" because of their similar curvature to the ancient meaning of the word. Regardless of how it came to be, the term "bough" is now commonly used to describe a major branch extending from the trunk of a tree. In literary contexts, it's frequently employed as a poetic phrase, as it has a musical and archaic quality that's become an integral part of our language's heritage.

namespace
Example:
  • The branches of the oak tree curved gracefully like a series of boughs, leading my gaze towards the blue sky above.

    Những cành cây sồi cong cong duyên dáng như một loạt cành cây, hướng ánh mắt tôi lên bầu trời xanh phía trên.

  • The weight of the snow had caused some of the boughs on the pine trees to droop under its burden.

    Sức nặng của tuyết đã khiến một số cành cây thông phải rũ xuống.

  • As the wind picked up, the leaves on the cherry tree danced playfully, their boughs swaying back and forth like the limbs of a savvy ballerina.

    Khi gió nổi lên, những chiếc lá trên cây anh đào nhảy múa vui tươi, cành cây đung đưa qua lại như chân tay của một vũ công ba lê điêu luyện.

  • The apple boughs on the tree bended low under the ripe fruit that hung deliciously from them.

    Những cành táo trên cây cong thấp dưới những quả chín mọng treo lủng lẳng trên đó.

  • The boughs of the juniper tree were heavy with the fragrance of its dark, berry-like fruit.

    Cành cây bách xù trĩu nặng mùi hương của loại quả mọng sẫm màu.

  • The boughs on the maple tree had turned scarlet, signaling the arrival of autumn.

    Những cành cây phong đã chuyển sang màu đỏ thắm, báo hiệu mùa thu đã đến.

  • The shade cast by the willow tree's boughs was cool and soothing, perfect for a relaxing afternoon read.

    Bóng râm từ cành cây liễu mát mẻ và dễ chịu, rất thích hợp cho việc đọc sách thư giãn vào buổi chiều.

  • The boughs of the fir tree bent as far as they could without breaking, laden down with snow.

    Những cành cây thông cong xuống hết mức có thể mà không bị gãy, trĩu nặng tuyết.

  • The rowan tree's boughs colored with tiny berries, red as crimson, swung gently in the breeze.

    Cành cây thanh lương trà với những quả mọng nhỏ, đỏ như đỏ thẫm, đung đưa nhẹ nhàng trong gió.

  • The oak tree's boughs looked like they were keeping watch, for centuries, over the garden.

    Những cành cây sồi trông như thể chúng đang canh gác khu vườn trong nhiều thế kỷ.

Related words and phrases