understory
[uhn-der-stawr-ee, -stohr-ee]
noun
the shrubs and plants growing beneath the main canopy of a forest.
Origin of understory
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for understory
thicket, coppice, bush, brake, brush, copse, underwood, brushwood, boscage, boskage, understoryExamples from the Web for understory
Historical Examples of understory
This species was seen only in the understory of primary forest.
Birds from North BorneoMax C. Thompson
A dense growth of coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) forms the understory just below the crest of the hill.
It seemed to prefer secondary forest that had some undergrowth and was invariably flushed from the understory.
Birds from North BorneoMax C. Thompson
This babbler inhabits the understory of primary forest, and occasionally is seen in secondary forest scrub.
Birds from North BorneoMax C. Thompson
Understory thickets sprang up throughout most of the woodland, and especially in edge situations.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper