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overstory

American  
[oh-ver-stawr-ee, -stohr-ee] / ˈoʊ vərˌstɔr i, -ˌstoʊr i /

noun

overstories plural
  1. the uppermost layer of foliage in a forest, forming the canopy.


Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

Etymology

Origin of overstory

1480–90, for an earlier sense; 1955–60 for current sense; over- + story 2

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 these longer rotations, multiple entries for thinning were required to prevent buildup of understory vegetation that would have suppressed the growth of overstory Douglas-fir," Carlisle said.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2023

Breaks in the verdant overstory at marked viewpoints offer scenic vistas of Vashon Island, Dalco Passage and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 24, 2022

The narrative braid, meanwhile — the overstory — grows more tangled.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2022

On many parts of tribal land, most of the trees in the overstory survived.

From Salon • Nov. 7, 2021

This species is found in thickets of Gambel oak and in areas with an overstory of mixed shrubs only when a living pinyon-juniper canopy is present, or when a woodland adjoins these areas.

From Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado by Douglas, Charles L.

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