Woodland is a natural habitat with many plants and trees. Therefore, a zebra would not be considered a woodland animal, but a deer would fit the bill. You can use woodland as a noun, or as an adjective to describe things that have something to do with this particular kind of land, like woodland animals or a woodland habitat. Woodlands usually feature trees, grasses, shrubs, and other plants. If you're walking in the woods and the trees almost completely block the sunlight, you're in a forest, not a woodland. The Old English version was wudulond.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Protected woodland and hedgerows would be adversely affected, he said, and the scheme would result in "the unacceptable disturbance, degradation and loss" of "irreplaceable peatland".
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
Rescuers quickly mobilized a network of volunteers and professionals from across California, tapping about 20 agencies to assist in scouring some 60,000 acres of woodland.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026
Police have launched an investigation after suspected human skeletal remains were found in woodland by the A617 in Nottinghamshire.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
The samples contained pollen and plant waxes associated with humid West African rainforests, while very low levels of grass pollen suggested the site was surrounded by dense woodland rather than a thin strip of forest.
From Science Daily • May 20, 2026
Straining and pushing, the rat soldiers trundled the tall contraption from its woodland hiding place.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
