Branch
|
|
Missing image
LightningVolt_Twisting_Branch_Lilac_tree.jpg
LightningVolt_Twisting_Branch_Lilac_tree.jpg
The twisty branch of a Lilac tree
A branch is a part of a woody plant such as a tree, shrub, or vine. It is any woody structural member that is not the central trunk or trunks and which supports the terminal twigs, which in turn support the leaves. Branches may be oriented in any direction from horizontally to vertically, but usually have bark similar to the upper trunk (whereas twigs often have markedly different bark).
The word also has many figurative senses, often expressing the idea of a subdivision.
| Contents |
Figurative senses
Organizations
- In government, a large division of the government with a certain function and given certain powers, such as the legislative branch, executive branch, or judicial branch
- A particular store or office location of a business with more than one such location, especially of a franchising business
- In Mormonism, a branch is the name of a local congregation of Latter Day Saints.
Systems
- In graph theory, a direct path joining two nodes of a network or graph
- In academia, a division of a discipline
- In a power distribution system, a circuit from a distribution device (power panel) of a lower power handling capability than that of the input circuits to the device
- In organic chemistry, branching is when a polymer has more than two segments of backbone chain bonded to a single point. Cross-linking is a related phenomenon.
Computing
- In a computer program, a conditional jump or departure from the implicit or declared order in which instructions are being executed (see Goto and Jump instruction); also used as a verb meaning to perform such a jump
- In software engineering, a separate line of development, which allows development on a project to diverge in two directions, such as a stable and a development version; see fork (software)
Place names
- places with Branch in their names:
- various places named North Branch
- various places named South Branch
- various places named West Branch
- Drakes Branch, Virginia
- Fall Branch, Tennessee
- Farmers Branch, Texas
- Flowery Branch, Georgia
- Fort Branch, Indiana
- Hamilton Branch, California
- various places named Long Branch
- Plum Branch, South Carolina
- Village of the Branch, New York
- Wells Branch, Texas