branch-n; 5 Senses

Sense Number 1: abstract subdivision of a complex body, e.g, organization, knowledge

Commentary: BRANCH[+entity][+structure][+abstract][+subdivision][+body][+complex][+organization/+knowledge/+family]

Examples:
The U.S. Constitution defines three major branches of government.
The local branch of my bank is always busy.
English belongs to the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family.
Uncle Pete comes from a branch of the family on my mother's side.
Pathology is a branch of medicine.
John is studying a branch of mathematics known as graph theory.
Mary used to work in the Boston branch. (of a firm)

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1, 4

Sense Number 2: forked stem of a plant, e.g., tree limb

Commentary: BRANCH[+entity][+structure][+concrete][+anatomical][+plant][+stem][+subdivision] a division of a stem, or secondary stem arising from the main stem of a plant

Examples:
They broke the branch off of the tree and played fetch with it.
That nation has not yet extended the olive branch. (figurative usage, offered peace)

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 2

Sense Number 3: forked form or shape

Commentary: BRANCH[+form][+forked][+extension] a part of a forked or branching shape

Examples:
When they came to a fork in the road they took the left branch.
We canoed down a branch of the Columbia River.
The hunter admired the many branches of the large deer's antlers.
The computer program has a logic branch at this point of execution.

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1

Sense Number 4: Placeholder sense: Do Not Choose

Examples:

Mappings:
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1

Sense Number 5: none of the above

Commentary: Automatically generated NOTA sense (bbn)

Examples:

Mappings: