ground cover
noun
1
: the small plants on a forest floor except young trees
2
a
: a planting of low plants (such as ivy) that covers the ground in place of turf
b
: a plant adapted for use as ground cover
Examples of ground cover in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This is an herb that grows rapidly and can serve as a carefree ground cover.
—
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
In her 2013 book Braiding Sweetgrass, Potawatomi botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer explained that these crops thrive together because maize provides a trellis-like framework for nitrogen-fixing beans to grow on while the low-lying squash provides a productive ground cover crop.
—JSTOR Daily, 14 Oct. 2025
Even Florida’s infamous sinkholes share the same underlying story: human activity that destabilizes ground cover, then heavy rainfall.
—New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2025
What Types Of Roses To Overwinter While bush, hybrid, and climbing varieties can be winterized and remain outdoors during winter, varieties like miniature, compact shrub, polyantha, patio, ground cover, and some tree roses require different care.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground cover
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 Oct. 2025
In her 2013 book Braiding Sweetgrass, Potawatomi botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer explained that these crops thrive together because maize provides a trellis-like framework for nitrogen-fixing beans to grow on while the low-lying squash provides a productive ground cover crop.
—JSTOR Daily, 14 Oct. 2025
Even Florida’s infamous sinkholes share the same underlying story: human activity that destabilizes ground cover, then heavy rainfall.
—New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2025
What Types Of Roses To Overwinter While bush, hybrid, and climbing varieties can be winterized and remain outdoors during winter, varieties like miniature, compact shrub, polyantha, patio, ground cover, and some tree roses require different care.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ground cover
Cite this Entry
“Ground cover.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground%20cover. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share