afforest

[ uh-fawr-ist, uh-for- ]
See synonyms for: afforestafforestation on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to convert (bare or cultivated land) into forest, originally for the purpose of providing hunting grounds.

Origin of afforest

1
1495–1505; <Medieval Latin afforēstāre, equivalent to af-af- + forēst(is) forest + -āre infinitive suffix

Other words from afforest

  • af·for·est·a·tion, af·for·est·ment, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use afforest in a sentence

  • The Board is carrying on the afforestation of Ireland, which in many parts is almost without trees.

    Ireland as It Is | Robert John Buckley (AKA R.J.B.)
  • Irrigation and afforestation are both necessary for the successful development of the West.

    Our First Half-Century | Government of Queensland
  • A yearly sum was spent on afforestation in addition to what was laid out by the State and by private individuals.

    The Foundations of Japan | J.W. Robertson Scott
  • Some prefectures, in the sincerity of their devotion to afforestation, forbid the New Year destruction of pine trees.

    The Foundations of Japan | J.W. Robertson Scott
  • We look forward to the part that this new clothing will play in the general scheme of afforestation.

British Dictionary definitions for afforest

afforest

/ (əˈfɒrɪst) /


verb
  1. (tr) to plant trees on; convert into forested land

Origin of afforest

1
C15: from Medieval Latin afforestāre, from forestis forest

Derived forms of afforest

  • afforestation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012