rainforest

noun

rain·​for·​est ˈrān-ˌfȯr-əst How to pronounce rainforest (audio)
-ˌfär-
variants or less commonly rain forest
plural rainforests also rain forests
1
: a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches (254 centimeters) and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees forming a continuous canopy

called also tropical rainforest

2

Examples of rainforest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web On the ground, deep in the Amazon rainforest, an armed Brazilian government agent watches as a dredge used to illegally mine gold from the Yanomami Indigenous Territory erupts into flames – destroyed on orders from the Federal Police. Ana Ionova, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024 The Amazon Rainforest spans 6.7 million square kilometers, accounting for more than half the planet’s remaining rainforest. Quentin Septer, WIRED, 11 Mar. 2024 To see more animals, take the Five-Star hotel’s tours to the nearby Bird Park, the world’s only facility dedicated to conserving Atlantic rainforest birds, or Bela Vista Biological Sanctuary, which conducts research to help species facing the risk of extinction, like jaguars. Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Rainforest, an interactive, immersive, walk-through exhibit that depicts the sights, sounds and life within a Costa Rican rainforest The Third Planet, a series of exhibits that explore how plate tectonics have shaped the Earth. Journal Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2024 This scene wouldn’t look out of place deep in the Malaysian rainforest or the verdant foothills of India. Rebecca Cairns, CNN, 12 Feb. 2024 The skies over the rainforest are plagued with radio blind spots, requiring pilots to travel long distances without any contact with the ground. Longreads, 1 Feb. 2024 After months of scarce rains, dense rainforest that is typically too humid to catch fire has also become more susceptible to flames. Manuela Andreoni, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 Robust, chicory coffee sourced from his parents’ farm is served at Midnight Temple, and a green wall crawling with faux greenery is dedicated to the husband-and-wife duo and their rainforest upbringing. Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rainforest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rainforest was in 1900

Dictionary Entries Near rainforest

Cite this Entry

“Rainforest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainforest. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rain forest

noun
1
: an often tropical woodland with a high annual rainfall and very tall evergreen trees with tops forming a continuous layer

called also tropical rain forest

2

More from Merriam-Webster on rainforest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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