undergrowth

noun

un·​der·​growth ˈən-dər-ˌgrōth How to pronounce undergrowth (audio)
: low growth on the floor of a forest including seedlings and saplings, shrubs, and herbs

Examples of undergrowth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The road narrowed, and dry grass and thorny scrub leaned over the dusty track, as two rhinos stepped quietly out of the undergrowth. Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 After about an hour of following bushwhacking guides and slipping over an elephant trail twisting through the undergrowth, trumpets and guttural grunts pierced through the silence. Chris Schalkx, AFAR Media, 20 Aug. 2025 In addition, the lack of fire allowed fuel in the form of dense undergrowth to build up. Andrew Montequin, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2025 He’s scrambled up steep mountainsides and passed through dense undergrowth, searching for creatures that scientists thought were lost to time. Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for undergrowth

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undergrowth was in 1600

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Cite this Entry

“Undergrowth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undergrowth. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

undergrowth

noun
un·​der·​growth ˈən-dər-ˌgrōth How to pronounce undergrowth (audio)
: low growth on the floor of a forest including seedlings and saplings, shrubs, and herbs

More from Merriam-Webster on undergrowth

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