also: おおえ
noun
large branch; bough
Refers to a thick, major branch of a tree, as opposed to a small twig (小枝).
台風で大枝が折れてしまった。
A large branch broke off in the typhoon.
その木の大枝に鳥が巣を作っている。
A bird has built a nest on a bough of that tree.
小枝 means a small twig or branchlet, while 大枝 refers to a large, thick branch.
Compound of 大 (おお, 'big') and 枝 (えだ, 'branch'). The reading おおえ is a contraction sometimes seen in older or poetic usage.