Skip to main content
Arbor Day

Arbor Day

2 3.7
A day each year for planting trees and teaching why trees matter
  • noun
  • /ˈɑːrbər deɪ/
translation icon : Día del Árbol
  • The kit is available from the National Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people plant and care for trees.
  • Arbor Day celebration
  • celebrate Arbor Day
  • Arbor Day tree planting

Examples

  • Join us to plant new trees during our community event for Arbor Day this Saturday.

  • Friday, April 27, 2012, is Arbor Day in the U.S.

    Blog text (17)
  • Furthermore, they have the opportunity to plan a personal Arbor Day celebration.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Even in the face of tragedy, Arbor Day is an opportunity to celebrate the positive impact trees have on our lives.

    Blog text (17)
  • Morton became a crusader of forestry, and on April 10, 1872, the first Arbor Day took place in Nebraska.

    Blog text (17)
  • According to the Arbor Day Foundation, in 1854, pioneer J. Sterling Morton moved to Nebraska from Detroit, Michigan.

    Blog text (17)
  • Every year, many schools organize activities to honor Arbor Day by planting seedlings.

  • The local park will host a celebration for Arbor Day with educational workshops about tree care.

Surface Forms

Arbor Day singular
Arbor Days plural

Morphology

arbor + day

The phrase is directly compositional: 'arbor' (tree) + 'day' (a day set aside) yields the meaning 'a day for trees/planting trees', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the purpose of the holiday. Equivalent 'tree day' observances exist in many languages, supporting a cross-linguistically transparent interpretation rather than an idiomatic one.

Etymology

The name Arbor Day comes from the old Latin word arbor, which means 'tree'. It began as a special day when people planted young trees together, so Arbor Day now means 'a day to plant and care for trees'.