undergrowth
Americannoun
-
low-lying vegetation or small trees growing beneath larger trees; underbrush.
-
the condition of being undergrown or undersized.
-
short, fine hair underlying longer, outer wool or fur.
noun
-
small trees, bushes, ferns, etc, growing beneath taller trees in a wood or forest
-
the condition of being undergrown
-
a growth of short fine hairs beneath longer ones; underfur
Etymology
Origin of undergrowth
Explanation
The plants that grow on a forest floor, including shrubs and small trees, are called undergrowth. If you leave a marked hiking trail in the woods, you might have a hard time getting through the undergrowth. You won't find a lot of undergrowth in a North American forest in the winter — most ferns and other plants die back, and many shrubs and trees lose their leaves. In the summertime, however, undergrowth can be thick and dense under the taller, older trees. This noun dates from the 1600s, a combination of under, "beneath or below," and growth, "something that has grown."
Vocabulary lists containing undergrowth
"The Road Not Taken"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Into the Wild
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Wolf Hollow
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
During the wet spring, she said, undergrowth flourished, leaving an enormous layer of tinder once heat waves took hold in June.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
They may be less wild about another policy Resco de Dios favors: keeping undergrowth in check with more controlled burning, including in protected forests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The car crashed deep in undergrowth near a roundabout, and they were not found for 46 hours.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
He was surrounded by the soldiers again, who found him hiding in the undergrowth, the head of the military explained.
From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026
He took Jones deeper into the pines, through thick undergrowth, to a man partly concealed by the brush.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
