Christmas tree
/ˈkɹɪsməs tɹiː/
"christmas-tree" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Christmas tree” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - 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 decor...
Corpus desk
Index EN-christmas-tree · Christmas tree · English
Christmas tree · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 14 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Christmas tree |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈkɹɪsməs tɹiː/ |
| Letters | 14 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “Christmas tree” in English
Rare enough to double-check
Christmas tree is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɹɪsməs tɹiː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 11 senses are on record.
No misspelling variants are generated for Christmas tree in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *dóru From Christmas + tree, a calque of German Weynacht Baum (obsolete, 17th c.), Weihnachtsbaum, from Weynacht, Weihnacht (literary or poetic variant of Weihnachten (“Christmas”)) + -s- (genitive interfix) + Baum (“tree”). The custom of Christma… The correct English form is Christmas tree, spelled C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S- -T-R-E-E.
Definition
- 1An 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.
- 2Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
- 3Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
- 4Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
- 5Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
- 6Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
- 7Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
- 8Something which resembles a Christmas tree (sense 1) in appearance (for example, in having coloured lights) or shape.
- 9A Christmas party, especially one organized for (underprivileged) children by a charity, a school, etc.
- 10Often 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).
- 11Synonym 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”)
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how Christmas tree appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
"I and your mother," he wrote, "sit in the evenings, and gild apples and nuts, because we intend to dress up a Christmas tree,[…]["]
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.
Etymology
PIE word *dóru From Christmas + tree, a calque of German Weynacht Baum (obsolete, 17th c.), Weihnachtsbaum, from Weynacht, Weihnacht (literary or poetic variant of Weihnachten (“Christmas”)) + -s- (genitive interfix) + Baum (“tree”). The custom of Christmas trees was adopted in the United Kingdom from Germany in the 19th century, having been popularized by their use by the royal family during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. Sense 3 (“Christmas party”) refers to the fact that there is usually a Christmas tree (sense 1) at the event.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.