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forest floor

American  
[fawr-ist flawr, fahr-ist] / ˈfɔr ɪst ˈflɔr, ˈfɑr ɪst /

noun

forest floors plural
  1. the portion of a forest immediately above ground, generally covered with decaying plant matter.


Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On a cool spring morning, a forest floor may seem calm and still.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

Ms. Simard’s own forebears worked the Canadian forests in this manner, which has the virtue of leaving lots of organic material behind while going easy on the springy, carbon-rich forest floor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Her findings demonstrate that commercial logging releases greenhouse gases and stops the natural cycle of regrowth, preventing the forest floor from sharing carbon resources.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

For years, scientists have warned that the risk of damaging floods is dramatically increased after intense wildfires, as rain struggles to permeate the burnt-out forest floor and flows encounter little resistance from the remaining vegetation.

From Barron's • Oct. 11, 2025

Harry and Hermione tightened their grip and dug their heels into the forest floor to stop him.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

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