noun
- A tree, especially a conifer, stripped of its lower branches and often marked as a landmark or signal in northern wilderness areas.
Usage: chiefly Canadian and northern U.S.; historical/regional
Examples
- The voyagers used the lobstick as a navigation marker across the frozen landscape.
- Trappers would create a lobstick by removing branches from a tall spruce to make it visible from a distance.
- The old lobstick still stood at the edge of the forest, a relic of the fur trade era.
- Indigenous peoples and fur traders recognized lobsticks as important waypoints in the wilderness.