treetop
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /trˈiːtɒp/
US
- /ˈtriˌtɔp/
Description
- top of a tree
- highest branches
- leafy crown
- upper canopy
- part above the trunk
Imagine looking up at a tall tree and following the trunk all the way to the top. That top part, where the highest branches and leaves spread out, is the treetop. It is the part you see birds land on, nests resting in, or wind moving through. People also use the word in phrases like "treetop view" or "treetop walk" to talk about something high up among the upper branches.
The word "treetop" refers to the top of a tree, especially the highest branches and leaves. It is the upper part that forms the tree's crown and stands above the trunk. When people use this word, they are usually talking about the visible top of one tree, though it can also appear in broader nature scenes with many trees.
In everyday English, it is most often used in a literal way. You might read about sunlight touching the treetops, birds singing in the treetops, or a house rising above the treetops. It is also common in travel and nature writing, where phrases like "treetop view," "treetop path," or "treetop hotel" suggest a place high up near the canopy.
The word can sometimes feel poetic because it brings to mind height, leaves, wind, and open sky, but its main meaning is still simple and concrete. It does not usually mean the whole forest canopy in a technical sense. Instead, it points to the top part of a tree or to something located at that level.
So if you picture the highest leafy part of a tree swaying above the ground, you have the core meaning of "treetop."
Examples
- 1
Animal movement
A monkey swung from treetop to treetop without touching the ground.
Phrase
from treetop to treetop
across the tops of several trees
- 2
Lost object
The rescue team spotted the boy's kite caught in a treetop.
- 3
Landscape
At sunrise, a thin layer of mist floated above the treetops.
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- treetopnoun
Forms
- treetopspluralnoun