MEANING
The layer of smaller trees and shrubs growing beneath the main forest canopy.
Use it for
Forest layering, blocked sightlines, and vegetation below tall trees.Separate the forest's middle level from its canopy and floor.
Words that belong together
- dense understory
- shaded understory
- understory shrubs
On the page
The understory thickened where sunlight reached the ground.
Young maples filled the understory beneath the oaks.
Through a gap in the understory, she saw the river.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- understory
Usage notes
Primary category: environment. A vertical forest layer, not just debris or ground vegetation; understorey is the British spelling. Plural: understories; Spelling: understorey, understoreys
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