understory

[ uhn-der-stawr-ee, -stohr-ee ]

/ ˈʌn dərˌstɔr i, -ˌstoʊr i /

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See synonyms for understory on Thesaurus.com

noun

the shrubs and plants growing beneath the main canopy of a forest.

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Origin of understory

First recorded in 1900–05; under- + story²

Words nearby understory

understatement, understeer, understock, understood, understorey, understory, understrapper, understratum, understrength, understructure, understudy

How to use understory in a sentence

They decided to excavate the understory of the conflict—to figure out what it was really about–which required asking different questions and truly listening.
We Need More 'Good Conflict' in Our Lives. Here's How It Works|Amanda Ripley|April 17, 2021|Time
“There’s no understory vegetation left, let alone any leaf litter suspended in it, so that species is really hanging in the balance,” says Marsh.
A year after Australia’s wildfires, extinction threatens hundreds of species|John Pickrell|March 9, 2021|Science News
Trees were small in this part of the woods, with a well developed understory thicket of coralberry and sumac.
Ecological Observations on the Woodrat, Neotoma floridana|Henry S. Fitch
An almost continuous canopy of foliage has developed, shading the understory and thinning it by killing shrubs and saplings.
Ecological Observations on the Woodrat, Neotoma floridana|Henry S. Fitch

Purshia tridentata (bitterbrush) is the understory codominant.
Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado|Charles L. Douglas
Vegetation was pinyon-juniper woodland with an understory of mixed shrubs.
Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado|Charles L. Douglas
A relatively pure understory of Poa fendleriana (muttongrass), is typical of such woodland on the middle parts of the mesas.
Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado|Charles L. Douglas

understory

Origin of understory

Words nearby understory

Words related to understory

How to use understory in a sentence