What does arbour mean?
An arbour is a sheltered spot in a garden created by training trees, shrubs, or climbing plants over a framework of wood or lattice, forming a cool, leafy retreat. In American English the identical word is spelled arbor, while British English retains the older arbour form. Arbours have long been features of formal and cottage gardens alike, offering shade, privacy, and a picturesque setting for benches or seats; roses, wisteria, ivy, and honeysuckle are classic choices for clothing their frames. The word derives ultimately from the Latin arbor, meaning tree, and shares that root with related terms such as arboreal, arboretum, and arborist. Because of its strong associations with gardens, romance, and repose, the arbour appears frequently in poetry and descriptive prose as a symbol of tranquil seclusion, making it a useful and evocative term for anyone writing about landscapes or outdoor spaces.
nounA sheltered place in a garden formed by trees or shrubs trained over a framework, or a small leafy structure such as a latticework bower covered with climbing plants.
- A leafy garden shelter formed by trees or climbing plants trained over a frame or lattice.
"They spent the afternoon reading beneath the rose arbour at the end of the garden."
"Wisteria tumbled over the wooden arbour, filling the path with scent each spring."
"In the corner of the walled garden stood a stone-seated arbour shaded by honeysuckle."
The plural follows the standard -s pattern; in American English the plural of arbor is arbors.
"Several arbours lined the walkway through the botanical garden."
An arbour is literally a little tree — it comes straight from the Latin word arbor, meaning tree, making every garden arbour a tiny descendant of the forest.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arbour
The word arbour entered English in the medieval period via Old French, deriving ultimately from the Latin arbor, meaning tree. Its earliest English sense was broader than today's, referring to trees, herbs, or plants generally, before narrowing to mean a shelter made of vegetation. It shares this Latin root with words such as arboreal, arboretum, and arborist, all of which concern trees or tree-like growth.
How arbour is actually used
Spelled arbour in British English and arbor in American English; both are pronounced identically. The word carries gentle, romantic connotations of gardens, shade, and quiet retreat, and appears most often in literary, horticultural, and descriptive writing rather than everyday conversation.
Easily confused with arbour
A harbour is a sheltered body of water where ships anchor, whereas an arbour is a leafy garden shelter.
Arbor is simply the standard American spelling of the same word, which is spelled arbour in British English.