Christmas tree

Noun

Christmas tree (plural Christmas trees)

1. An evergreen tree (usually a conifer), or an artificial tree made to resemble this, which is typically decorated with lights and ornaments and often an angel or star at its tip, and used as a decoration during the Christmas holiday season.
   • "I and your mother," he wrote, "sit in the evenings, and gild apples and nuts, because we intend to dress up a Christmas tree,[…]["]1807, Augustus von Kotzebue, chapter XI, in [anonymous], transl., The Pastor’s Daughter, with Other Romances. […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: […] Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 220
   • At the head of every table there was a sheep roasted whole, the horns gilt, and the nose tipped with silver. All the fruits were hung upon Christmas trees.1856 September 20, “The Grand Coronation Dinner”, in The Illustrated London News, volume XXIX, London: William Little […], →OCLC, page 296, column 3

   Synonyms:

   holiday tree, Yule tree

2. (broadly, informal) Something which is elaborately decorated.
   • The modern infantryman is a Christmas tree of weaponry, with grenades and extra ammunition hanging from all parts of his upper body.1985 May 20, Ellen Benoit, “Fit to Fight: Despite Advances in Technology since 1945, the Essential Weapon in the U.S. Arsenal is still the American GI”, in James W[alker] Michaels, editor, Forbes...
3. (broadly) A pattern of muscles visible in the lower back, resembling in outline the shape of a conifer.
   • The V-bar pull-up is a great retro exercise I pulled from the Arnold [Schwarzenegger] & Franco Columbo^([sic – meaning Franco Columbu]) Golden Era bodybuilding days. […] These are great for really developing that Christmas tree in your lower back and the proper arch at the top is key in that regard.2013, Cory Gregory, “Get Jacked! The 1,000 Rep Workout”, in Fitness Rx, volume 11, number 4, Seatauket, N.Y.: Advanced Research Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 56; reproduced with changes as “The 1,000 Rep...
4. (broadly, slang) A panel of indicator lights in an aircraft or a submarine.
   • Farnsworth and Reed […] have reported on comparative reaction times to "Christmas tree" signal lights with respect to color deficiency. One of the most important color discriminations involved in the operation of a submarine is that of reading the "Christmas tree," a panel of 30 to 60 small...D[ean] Farnsworth, J. D. Reed (5 February 1946), Comparative Reaction Times to Christmas Tree Signal Lights with Respect to Color Deficiency (Project X-265 (Av-153-c); Report No. 10), New London...
5. (US, broadly, historical) An alert area at an air base with aircraft parked in stubs arranged at a 45-degree angle to a central taxiway to enable them to move rapidly to a runway; these were constructed by the Strategic Air Command of the United States Air Force during the Cold War (generally 1947–1991).
   • The existing ramp, the part that the B-52 used, a great amount of it was out in the alert area, on what we call a christmas tree^([sic]) stub at the end of the runway, in a dispersed posture.1968 May 1, Colonel Fenlon, witness, “Statement of Maj. Gen. G. H. Goddard, Director of Civil Engineering, U.S. Air Force—Resumed”, in Military Construction Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1969: Joint...
   • At the eastern tip of the runway-taxiway lay the alert area for about nine aircraft, along with an alert building for the airmen to live. This area, called the "Christmas Tree" as a result of the Christmas tree shape of the runway pattern for alert aircraft, had compacted gravel base for concrete...1975, Robert Herman Kelting, The Great Bong Bungle, volume I (unpublished dissertation), Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin–Madison, →OCLC, page 21
6. (broadly) A pole with lights, similar to a traffic signal, used for signalling the start of an automobile race.
   • Then, after a smoky-burnout to warm up the tires, you're lined up next to another competitor and the Christmas tree lights blink down … yellow, yellow, yellow, green!1990 January, Rich Taylor, “Racing 1990: Cheap Thrills: Four Grass-roots Rides—Low Investment, Low Maintenance, High on Fun”, in Joe Oldham, editor, Popular Mechanics, volume 167, number 1, New York...
7. (broadly, slang, oil industry) A collection of gauges, valves, and other components installed at the top of wellhead to control the flow of gas or oil.
   • Wellheads, which support downhole tubing, casing, and other components, are connected at the top of wells to Christmas trees, which control production rates and fluid flows out of the well and may also direct fluids and equipment into the well2010, Robert Heidersbach, “Oilfield Equipment”, in Winston Revie, editor, Metallurgy and Corrosion Control in Oil and Gas Production (Wiley Series in Corrosion; 14), Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons...
8. (broadly) A 4-3-2-1 formation, with four defenders, three centre midfielders, two attacking midfielders and a striker in a triangular pattern.
   • That or, in the name, something given a title to cover up the fact that all it was, was a football formation. But then the Christmas Tree came along.2015 August 20, Edward Couzens-Lake, Mapping the Pitch: Football Formations Through The Ages, Meyer & Meyer Sport, →ISBN
   • We ended up inventing the Christmas tree formation. It came about as a practical necessity but it married perfectly to the philosophy of the president.2016 May 26, Carlo Ancelotti, Quiet Leadership: Winning Hearts, Minds and Matches, Penguin UK, →ISBN
9. (broadly) A Christmas party, especially one organized for (underprivileged) children by a charity, a school, etc.
   • The Dennison Associates hold a Christmas Tree for Children and more than 300 little tots are entertained.1922 March, Round Robin, Framingham, Mass.: Dennison Manufacturing Company, →OCLC, page 4
10. (Australia) Often with a descriptive word: any of several shrubs or trees native to Australia which bloom in summer at the end of the year around Christmastime, and so may be used as a Christmas decoration; especially the fire tree or moodjar (Nuytsia floribunda).
    • SYDNEY CHRISTMAS-TREE [running head] […] The shrub chosen as the Sydney "Christmas" is well worthy of the honour […] The flowers, which are irregularly star-shaped, […] continue increasing in size, and gradually ripening in tint, becoming first a pearl white, then palest blush, then pink...1844, Mrs. Charles Meredith [i.e., Louisa Anne Meredith], chapter XIII, in Notes and Sketches of New South Wales. During a Residence in that Colony from 1839 to 1844, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC...
    • In summer, Nuytsia floribunda or WA [Western Australian] Christmas tree dot the roadsides and fields. Christmas trees have long been known to the Noongar people as moodjar, who say the trees hold the spirits of their ancestors. It blooms consistently October to December, signalling the arrival of...2021, Melissa Connell, Catherine Lawson, Grace Hamill, “Geraldton and Wildflower Country”, in 100 Things to See on Australia’s Coral Coast: + Karijini and the Pilbara, Bulli, Wollongong, N.S.W....
11. (New Zealand) Synonym of pohutukawa (“a coastal evergreen tree, Metrosideros excelsa, native to New Zealand and producing a brilliant display of red flowers with prominent stamens around Christmastime”)
    • Another interesting and characteristic tree confined to the province of Auckland is the pohutukawa (Metrosideros tomentosa) or Christmas tree of the settlers, so called from its blooming at the Christmas season and taking the place, in household decoration, of the berried mistletoe and holly.1884, Alex[ander] Wilson, “Auckland”, in Alex[ander] Wilson, Rutherford Waddell, T. W. Whitson, Maoriland: Illustrated Handbook to New Zealand, Melbourne, Vic.; Sydney, N.S.W.: George Robertson and...
    • Perhaps the most strikingly beautiful New Zealand flower is the pohutukawa (Metrosideros tomentosa), a close relation of the ratas. It, too, has brilliant red flowers, also spiky, and from their season of blooming it is sometimes called the Christmas-tree.1907 October 26, Constance A[lice] Barnicoat, “New Zealand Wild Flowers”, in Country Life, volume XXII, number 564, London: George Newnes […], →OCLC, page 589, column 1

    Synonyms:

    New Zealand Christmas tree, pohutukawa