fern

noun

ˈfərn 

: any of a division (Polypodiophyta) or class (Polypodiopsida) of flowerless spore-producing vascular plants having alternating sporophyte and gametophyte generations

especially : any of an order (Polypodiales) of homosporous plants possessing roots, stems, and leaflike fronds compare seed fern

fernlike

ˈfərn-ˌlīk 

adjective

ferny

ˈfər-nē 

adjective

Examples of fern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Country Life Last Leaves As the flowers and the ferns put themselves to bed, shedding petals, drying and darkening, folding up, one garden plant stays longer than all the rest: kale. —Richard Brookhiser, National Review, 19 Dec. 2024

Many miniature or compact species of orchids, bromeliads, ferns, begonias, and aroids are epiphytes and can thrive in terrariums. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 19 Dec. 2024

These towering plants had a combination of ferns’ spore-reproducing capabilities and woody trunks, representing a critical evolutionary link in the history of terrestrial life. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

The team suspects that charcoal helped detoxify the ferns, which can be toxic. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English fearn; akin to Old High German farn fern, Sanskrit parṇa wing, leaf

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing fern

• bird's-nest fern
• Boston fern
• Christmas fern
• cinnamon fern
• fern bar
• fern seed
• hay-scented fern
• maidenhair fern
• male fern
• ostrich fern
• seed fern
• southern maidenhair fern
• sweet fern
• sword fern
• tree fern
• Venus' hair fern

Kids Definition

fern

noun

ˈfərn 

: any of an order of vascular plants resembling seed plants in having root, stem, and leaflike fronds but reproducing by spores instead of by flowers and seeds

fernlike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

ferny

ˈfər-nē 

adjective