Meaning & use
tree bole
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Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
The main upright trunk of a tree, measured from the ground up to where the first large branches begin.
Grammar: Usually refers to the trunk only, not the branches: the bole of the oak.
Patterns
- the bole of a tree
- a straight bole
The forester measured the tree bole at chest height.
A smooth tree bole made the beech easy to recognize.
Moss grew thickly on the shady side of the bole.
Word forms
| plural | tree boles |
|---|
Common combinations
- straight bole
- Pines with a straight bole are prized for timber.
- massive bole
- The redwood had a massive bole wider than a car.
- clear bole
- A clear bole has no low branches or knots.
- bole of the tree
- Squirrels ran up the bole of the tree.
- bole diameter
- Bole diameter helps estimate how much timber a tree holds.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trunk
- Trunk is the everyday word and covers the same part, while bole is more technical and often stresses the clear length used for timber.
- stem
- Stem is broader and applies to any plant, so it feels vague beside tree bole.
- stock
- Stock can mean the main stem in horticulture, but it is rarer and also names the part grafted onto.
Word family
Commonly confused: tree bole or bowl? tree bole or boll?
tree bole vs bowl
A bowl is a round dish, and it is pronounced like bole in most accents, but it has no link to trees.
tree bole vs boll
A boll is the seed pod of cotton or flax, not part of a tree trunk.
Practice
The woodcutter wanted a tall tree with a long, straight ___ and few low branches.
Choose one answer.
The bole is the trunk, which is what a woodcutter values. The canopy is the leafy top, and roots and twigs are different parts.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tree bole”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.