forest

[ fawr-ist, for- ]

/ ˈfɔr ɪst, ˈfɒr- /

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See synonyms for: forest / forested / forests / forestlike on Thesaurus.com

noun

a large tract of land covered with trees and underbrush; woodland.

the trees on such a tract: to cut down a forest.

a tract of wooded grounds in England formerly belonging to the sovereign and set apart for game.

a thick cluster of vertical objects: a forest of church spires.

verb (used with object)

to supply or cover with trees; convert into a forest.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of forest

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin forestis (silva) “an unenclosed wood” (as opposed to a park), derivative of Latin forīs “outside.” Cf. foreign

synonym study for forest

1. Forest, grove, wood refer to an area covered with trees. A forest is an extensive area, preserving some or all of its primitive wildness and usually having game or wild animals in it: Sherwood Forest; the Black Forest. A grove is a group or cluster of trees, usually not very large in area and cleared of underbrush. It is usually tended or cultivated: a shady grove; a grove of pines; an orange grove; a walnut grove. Woods (or a wood ) resembles a forest but is a smaller tract of land, less wild in character, and generally closer to civilization: lost in the woods; a wood covering several acres.

OTHER WORDS FROM forest

for·est·al, fo·res·tial

[fuh-res-chuhl], /fəˈrɛs tʃəl/, adjectivefor·est·ed, adjectivefor·est·less, adjectivefor·est·like, adjective

non·for·est, nounnon·for·est·ed, adjectiveun·for·est·ed, adjectivewell-for·est·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use forest in a sentence

When climbing is included as part of gliding behavior, and in forests where treetops overlap, a colugo could save energy crawling through the canopy rather than gliding, he says.
On a cool night in Malaysia, scientists track mysterious colugos across the treetops|Yao-Hua Law|November 20, 2020|Science News
The Mondols live in Gosaba, an island in the Sundarbans, an archipelago that is home to the world’s largest mangrove forest.
Asia’s biggest climate migration|Konstantin Kakaes|November 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
While the rest of the country focused on something other than the forest floor, I started foraging for chanterellesI’d been staring at the ground too long.
Mushroom Hunting at the End of the World|Danny Palumbo|November 12, 2020|Eater
We entered the forest and discovered a path covered on all sides with beech, birch, and fir trees.
Are We Wired to Be Outside? - Issue 92: Frontiers|Grigori Guitchounts|November 11, 2020|Nautilus

For example, Monstera deliciosa grows in “dappled light under the forest canopy,” but a cactus gets full sun in a desert.
Online plant sellers are having a moment. Here’s where to shop.|Lindsey Roberts|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
And later, by closing in our system of foresting, I figger to cut out present costs on a sight bigger output.
The Man in the Twilight|Ridgwell Cullum
Grace recognized the uniform at once, having seen it before when foresting with Tom Gray.
Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders in the Great North Woods|Jessie Graham Flower

British Dictionary definitions for forest

forest

/ (ˈfɒrɪst) /

noun

a large wooded area having a thick growth of trees and plants

the trees of such an area

NZ an area planted with exotic pines or similar treesCompare bush 1 (def. 4)

something resembling a large wooded area, esp in densitya forest of telegraph poles

law (formerly) an area of woodland, esp one owned by the sovereign and set apart as a hunting ground with its own laws and officersCompare park (def. 5)

(modifier) of, involving, or living in a forest or forestsa forest glade

verb

(tr) to create a forest (in); plant with trees

Derived forms of forest

forestal or foresteal (fəˈrɛstɪəl), adjectiveforested, adjectiveforestless, adjectiveforest-like, adjective

Word Origin for forest

C13: from Old French, from Medieval Latin forestis unfenced woodland, from Latin foris outside

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

Scientific definitions for forest

forest

[ fôr′ĭst ]

A growth of trees covering a large area. Forests exist in all regions of the Earth except for regions of extreme cold or dryness.

Other Idioms and Phrases with forest

forest

see can't see the forest for the trees.

forest

Origin of forest

synonym study for forest

OTHER WORDS FROM forest

Words related to forest

How to use forest in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for forest

Derived forms of forest

Word Origin for forest

Scientific definitions for forest

Other Idioms and Phrases with forest