To remove branches from a tree or plant, or to separate branches from a main stem.
From dis- (to separate or undo) + branch (from Old French 'branche', ultimately from Latin 'branca' meaning paw or claw, which evolved to mean arm-like extensions). The -ch preserves French pronunciation.
This word reveals how the dis- prefix was used in agriculture and forestry—it's the kind of technical term a medieval gardener or woodsman would have used, now lost to specialized modern vocabulary.
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