rain forest

noun

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Definition of rain forest

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 rain forest

2 : temperate rain forest

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Recent Examples of rain forest from the Web

The rain forest was a completely new environment for people in the Late Pleistocene, so the learning curve was probably steep.

— kiona n. smith, Ars Technica, "30,000-year-old jawbone records tough diet in Pleistocene Southeast Asia," 6 June 2018
Though only 25 people have died so far from suspected Ebola cases, health officials are worried that the virus has had ample time to spread into remote and hard-to-reach areas of the rain forest that densely covers much of the affected region.

— max bearak, Washington Post, "WHO says Ebola outbreak in Congo is not yet a global health emergency," 18 May 2018
Indonesia has lost half of its rain forests in the last half century in its rush to supply the world with timber, pulp, paper and, more recently, palm oil.

— niniek karmini, The Seattle Times, "Police arrest 5 who killed orangutan in Borneo with air gun," 19 Feb. 2018
The Schooner Cove trail winds through the rain forest, then dumps you out on a magnificent beach. 5 P.M. Check into Ocean Village (from $80 U.S.; oceanvillageresort.com) or the Wickaninnish Inn (from $322 U.S.; wickinn.com).

— Sunset, "An Epic Adventure on B.C.’s Vancouver Island," 22 Jan. 2018
Hundreds of thousands of others—maybe more—are died in transit or snatched illegally from the rain forests of West and Central Africa.

— National Geographic, "This Popular Parrot 'Talks' Like Us. But We're Silencing It.," 21 May 2018
The illicit practice affects not only centuries-old rosewood trees but also swaths of rain forest that poachers clear to access them.

— rachel nuwer, Scientific American, "Tracing Thailand’s Illegal Rosewood Trade," 15 Mar. 2018
In Steiner’s alternative history, Hitler does not commit suicide as the war ends but flees to a remote reach of the Amazon rain forest.

— ruth margalit, The New Yorker, "The Mail," 11 May 2018
And as on the floor of a rain forest, new life must push through the old and fight for resources.

— New York Times, "The Sights and Smells of Sicily’s Second City," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rain forest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of rain forest

1903

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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RAIN FOREST Defined for English Language Learners

rain forest

noun

Definition of rain forest for English Language Learners

: a tropical forest that receives a lot of rain and that has very tall trees

RAIN FOREST Defined for Kids

rain forest

noun

Definition of rain forest for Students

: a woodland with a high annual rainfall and very tall trees and that is often found in tropical regions

Learn More about rain forest

Spanish Central: Translation of rain forest Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rain forest

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rain forest

Definition of rain forest

Recent Examples of rain forest from the Web

First Known Use of rain forest

RAIN FOREST Defined for English Language Learners

rain forest

Definition of rain forest for English Language Learners

RAIN FOREST Defined for Kids

rain forest

Definition of rain forest for Students

Learn More about rain forest

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rain forest

Definition of rain forest

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RAIN FOREST Defined for English Language Learners

rain forest

Definition of rain forest for English Language Learners

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rain forest

Definition of rain forest for Students

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