sb. [SUB- 7.] A subdivision of a branch (in any sense).
1859. Darwin, Orig. Spec., iv. 124. In our diagram, this is indicated by the broken lines, beneath the capital letters, converging in sub-branches downwards towards a single point.
1875. Jevons, Money, xx. 258. The National Bank of Ireland has about 114 branches and sub-branches.
So Sub-branch v., Sub-branched ppl. a.
1676. Grew, Anat. Plants, Lect. iv. (1682), 266. Sprigs made up of four chief Branches standing crosswise, and those subbranched.
1857. Darwin, in Life & Lett. (1887), II. 125. Species … always seem to branch and sub-branch like a tree from a common trunk.
