forest

¹for·est

noun, often attributive \ˈfȯr-əst, ˈfär-\

Definition of FOREST

1

: a dense growth of trees and underbrush covering a large tract

2

: a tract of wooded land in England formerly owned by the sovereign and used for game

3

: something resembling a forest especially in profusion or lushness <a forest of microphones> <a kelp forest>

— for·est·al \-əs-t^əl\ or fo·res·tial \fə-ˈres-tē-əl, fȯ-, -ˈres(h)-chəl\ adjective

— for·est·ed \ˈfȯr-ə-stəd, ˈfär-\ adjective

Examples of FOREST

1. Fires destroyed acres of forest.
2. <the endless forest that the first European settlers encountered>

Origin of FOREST

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin forestis (silva) unenclosed (woodland), from Latin foris outside — more at forum

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to FOREST

Synonyms: forestland, timber, timberland, wood(s), woodland

Related Words: brake, brushwood, chaparral, coppice, copse, covert, grove, scrubland, stand, thicket; greenwood, wildwood; woodlot; arboretum, plantation

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Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra