arborolatry

English

Etymology

From Latin arbor (“tree”) +‎ -latry.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ɑɹbɚˈɑlətɹi/

Noun

arborolatry (uncountable)

1. The worship of trees.
   • 1873, C. Stanliand Wake, “The influence of the phallic idea in the religions of antiquity”, in Journal of anthropology:

     It is now generally supposed that the forbidden fruit was a kind of citrus, but certain facts connected with arborolatry seem to me to disprove this opinion.

   • 1894, John McClintock, Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature‎^[1], volume 4, page 241:

     Trcesof this arborolatry still exist everywhere, both in Moslem and Christian countries; and even the Persians, who abhorred images as much as the Hebrews ever did, rendered homage to certain trees.

   • 2006, Stephen H. Lekson, The Archaeology of Chaco Canyon, page 43:

     The Seven Sins of Archaeology: (1) Mono-Arborolatry: Worshipping one particular tree above the forest […]