Branched

How to spell branched

8 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce branched

What does branched mean?

1. verbDivided or split off into separate parts or directions.
2. adjectiveHaving parts that divide and spread out from a central stem or line.

Branched in a sentence

• verb

  The trail branched sharply just past the old bridge.

• adjective

  The diagram showed a deeply branched network of pipes.

• verb

  Our conversation soon branched into a debate about money.

• adjective

  A heavily branched candlestick stood on the dining table.

Where does branched come from?

Language of origin: French

This is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'branch', which comes from the noun 'branch' borrowed into English from Old French 'branche' during the 1200s. The Old French word traces back to Late Latin 'branca', meaning 'paw' or 'claw', and the spreading, splitting shape of a tree limb was felt to resemble a clawed hand reaching outward. From the literal tree sense the word grew figurative uses for anything that divides and spreads, such as roads, rivers, families, and organisations. The verb 'to branch' developed naturally from the noun, and adding the regular '-ed' ending produced 'branched', describing something that has divided or that is shaped with many divisions. The spelling keeps the silent-looking 'ch' from the French original, which is why the word ends in 'ched' rather than the phonetic 'cht' that the ear suggests.

How the word is built

• branch (limb, division)
• -ed (past tense / past participle suffix)