nonarboreal
|non-ar-bor-e-al|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑn.ɑrˈbɔr.i.əl/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒn.ɑːrˈbɔːr.i.əl/
not tree-living
Etymology
'nonarboreal' originates from Latin elements: the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non' meaning 'not') attached to 'arboreal', which ultimately comes from Latin 'arboreus' (from 'arbor' meaning 'tree').
'arboreal' came into English via Late Latin 'arborealis' (from Latin 'arboreus' / 'arbor') and Middle English; the modern formation 'nonarboreal' is a Modern English coinage formed by adding the negative prefix 'non-' to 'arboreal'.
Originally 'arboreal' meant 'of or relating to trees' (i.e., 'tree-like' or 'living in trees'); with the prefix 'non-' it developed the straightforward negated meaning 'not living in or associated with trees'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
not arboreal; not living in, on, or adapted for life in trees; ground-dwelling.
Many desert rodents are nonarboreal, nesting and foraging on or under the ground rather than in trees.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/04 10:40