overstory
noun
over·sto·ry
ˈō-vər-ˌstȯr-ē 
1
: the layer of foliage in a forest canopy
2
: the trees contributing to an overstory
Examples of overstory in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Longleaf pine forests are naturally open with abundant light pouring through the overstory, almost like a park.
—
Jamie Dickman, Popular Science, 14 June 2023
The narrative braid, meanwhile — the overstory — grows more tangled.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2022
The loss of the overstory no longer kept the forest floor and streams in shade, warming cold-water fisheries.
—Matt Wyatt, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Dec. 2021
This reestablished overstory will shade and cool the creek, provide leaf litter, and improve the habitat for macroinvertebrates, fish, small mammals, birds, and the Rio Grande cutthroat trout.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021
An overstory is the top foliage from multiple trees that combine to create an overhang or canopy under which people can walk or sit.
—Gloria Casas, chicagotribune.com, 17 June 2021
Also, the code calls for the buffer zone to include a double row of evergreen shrubs and a mixture of overstory and understory trees.
—al, 18 May 2021
And research suggests that industrially managed lands, which contain dense stands of uniformly aged trees and no canopy of mature overstory to cut wind speeds, can burn with greater intensity in wildfires.
—oregonlive, 31 Oct. 2020
Potential Fall 2020 hotspots: Areas with recent fires or logging activity, which remove overstory trees, letting browse species grow.
—Brian Lovett, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2020
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Jamie Dickman, Popular Science, 14 June 2023
The narrative braid, meanwhile — the overstory — grows more tangled.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2022
The loss of the overstory no longer kept the forest floor and streams in shade, warming cold-water fisheries.
—Matt Wyatt, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Dec. 2021
This reestablished overstory will shade and cool the creek, provide leaf litter, and improve the habitat for macroinvertebrates, fish, small mammals, birds, and the Rio Grande cutthroat trout.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021
An overstory is the top foliage from multiple trees that combine to create an overhang or canopy under which people can walk or sit.
—Gloria Casas, chicagotribune.com, 17 June 2021
Also, the code calls for the buffer zone to include a double row of evergreen shrubs and a mixture of overstory and understory trees.
—al, 18 May 2021
And research suggests that industrially managed lands, which contain dense stands of uniformly aged trees and no canopy of mature overstory to cut wind speeds, can burn with greater intensity in wildfires.
—oregonlive, 31 Oct. 2020
Potential Fall 2020 hotspots: Areas with recent fires or logging activity, which remove overstory trees, letting browse species grow.
—Brian Lovett, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Overstory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overstory. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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