Arboricole

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to organisms that dwell in trees and the ecosystem of the canopy
2. Describing species adapted to living within tree environments and utilizing their resources
3. Pertaining to animals or plants that make their home in the branches or trunks of trees

Etymology: "Arboricole" is a technical coinage built from two Latin parts: "arbor", meaning tree, and "colere", meaning to inhabit or dwell. Put together, the pieces describe a creature that lives in trees, and the word is used mainly in ecology and zoology to classify species by where they make their homes. The "colere" element is the same root that gives English "colony", "cult" and "culture", all of which trace back to the sense of tending or dwelling in a place. Its appearance here is a reminder that the Latin verb once covered living somewhere as well as cultivating land. The word is a straightforward modern compound, and the same pattern produces related terms such as "arboreal", which uses the same "arbor" root with a different ending.

Synonyms: tree-dwelling