vegetation

noun

veg·e·ta·tion | \ ˌve-jə-ˈtā-shən

Definition of vegetation

1 : plant life or total plant cover (as of an area)

2 : the act or process of vegetating

3 : inert existence

4 : an abnormal growth upon a body part fibrin vegetations on the mitral valve

Other Words from vegetation Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about vegetation

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of vegetation in a Sentence

the dense vegetation of the jungle the local vegetation is flourishing as a result of the recent rains

Recent Examples on the Web

The project will close the right northbound lane 9 a.m.-3 p.m. daily through the week near Railroad Avenue (milepost 12.6-13.4) as crews remove trees and vegetation from the slope that present a hazard. — Rosemarie Stein, OregonLive.com, "Portland Metro Friday Traffic: ODOT closes an eastbound lane of I-84 in the Gorge for 3 months," 16 Feb. 2018 The fire left many areas, some right along the freeway, bereft of trees and other vegetation that might have stopped the slide of mud and rocks propelled by rushing rainwater. — Bloomberg.com, "Mudslides, Rain Kill Six Following Fires in California," 9 Jan. 2018 Varney was driving a bulldozer to create a gap in vegetation to keep the flames from extending into a nearby community, according to Cal Fire Fire Chief Nancy Koerperich. — Fox News, "Deadly fire shuts down key route to Yosemite National Park," 16 July 2018 The primary danger now comes from an isotope, cesium-137, that persists longer, remaining in the soil and collecting in vegetation that is consumed by cows. — New York Times, "Decades Later and Far Away, Chernobyl Disaster Still Contaminates Milk," 8 June 2018 The stone gateposts of his home were nearly sunken in vegetation. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "As Innocuous as Plant No. 1," 10 Apr. 2018 The new study builds on previous research that has found changes in mountain vegetation due to climate change. — Martin Finucane, BostonGlobe.com, "Research suggests lonely plants on mountaintops are getting company, thanks to climate change," 5 Apr. 2018 The fires were especially intense due to an unusually late start to the rainy season, which left vegetation dry as seasonal mountain winds kicked up like bellows in a forge. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "What is going on with California’s horrific fires?," 13 Nov. 2018 Small diving plugs and crankbaits work well around floating vegetation. — Mark Blythe, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Central Florida fishing forecast: July 16," 15 July 2018

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about vegetation

Dictionary Entries near vegetation

Statistics for vegetation

Last Updated

7 Mar 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for vegetation

The first known use of vegetation was in 1564

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for vegetation

vegetation

noun

English Language Learners Definition of vegetation

: plants in general : plants that cover a particular area

See the full definition for vegetation in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vegetation

noun

veg·e·ta·tion | \ ˌve-jə-ˈtā-shən

Kids Definition of vegetation

: plant life or cover (as of an area) The valley was green with vegetation.

vegetation

noun

veg·e·ta·tion | \ ˌvej-ə-ˈtā-shən

Medical Definition of vegetation

: an abnormal outgrowth upon a body part specifically : any of the warty excrescences on the valves of the heart that are composed of various tissue elements including fibrin and collagen and that are typical of endocarditis