Boughs of tree in winter

In Dictionary Furetière of 1690

CONNECTED, Wooden jet which a tree pushes in twig beyond its trunk. The pine pushes branches only towards the top, the dove brought back in the Arc a branch of olive. We also say a branch of coral. We say as well, as a candlestick has several branches, as a ribbon is knotted in several branches, branch of a guarding of sword, branch of a bouquet of feathers, &c. And we say figuratively, that an business has several branches, to say, that there is several business connected and joined together, or that the decision makes a prejudice on several other fellow men.
This word comes from the Latin branca. Ménage after Saumaise. Others divert it of brachium, because the branch is as the arm of a tree.

Photography for the first week of 2012