tree of life

noun phrase

: a conventionalized and often ornate representation of a tree used as a decorative motif

Examples of tree of life in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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To investigate this, the team used their genetic and fossil analyses to reconstruct a sloth tree of life that reaches back to the animals’ emergence more than 35 million years ago. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 May 2025 Conditions on Earth shift over geologic time, and those forces inevitably lead to some dead ends on the tree of life. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 29 May 2025 In the past half century, scientists have made significant strides in accurately mapping the tree of life. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025 Mirror bacteria in particular had the potential to be a useful basic research tool – possibly allowing scientists to study a new tree of life for the first time and solve many problems in bioengineering and biomedicine. Kate Adamala, The Conversation, 11 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tree of life

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tree of life was in 1880

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Cite this Entry

“Tree of life.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tree%20of%20life. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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