Meaning & use
arborist
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountablespecialist
A person trained to look after individual trees, including pruning them, treating disease and removing them safely.
Grammar: Plural arborists: we called two arborists.
Patterns
- a certified arborist
- call an arborist
We hired an arborist to check whether the old oak was dangerous.
The arborist climbed the tree and trimmed the dead branches.
A certified arborist can tell you why the leaves are turning brown.
Word forms
| plural | arborists |
|---|
Common combinations
- certified arborist
- Only a certified arborist should work near power lines.
- hire an arborist
- We had to hire an arborist after the storm.
- consult an arborist
- Consult an arborist before cutting any large roots.
- licensed arborist
- The city requires a licensed arborist for tree removal.
- arborist report
- The arborist report said the tree was healthy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tree surgeon
- Tree surgeon is the more common British term and means almost the same, but arborist sounds more professional in the US.
- forester
- A forester manages whole woods or forests, while an arborist cares for individual trees.
- gardener
- A gardener looks after plants generally, and an arborist specializes in trees.
- lumberjack
- A lumberjack cuts down trees for timber, whereas an arborist is mostly concerned with keeping trees healthy.
Word family
Commonly confused: arborist or horticulturist?
arborist vs horticulturist
A horticulturist studies or grows garden plants of all kinds, while an arborist specializes in trees.
Practice
A storm cracked a large branch on the old maple in your yard. Whom should you call to inspect and trim it safely?
Choose one answer.
An arborist is trained to care for and safely trim trees. A botanist studies plants in general, and a florist sells flowers.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “arborist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.