: of, relating to, or being a forest characterized by the presence of large old trees, numerous snags and woody debris, and a multilayered canopy and that is usually in a late stage of ecological succession
old growth noun

Examples of old-growth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Some routes cut through old-growth forests, like the 1-mile-long Old Growth Trail, while others lead to the summit of local mountains, like the 8-mile hike up Mt. Elijah. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 6 Dec. 2024 The president uncapped his pen, preparing to sign an executive order to protect mature and old-growth forests on federal lands. April Ehrlich, ProPublica, 12 Nov. 2024 So instead, Caldwell, Honnold, and the eight-person National Geographic film crew had to chart a new route in the adjacent valley—an old-growth temperate rainforest. Jayme Moye, Outside Online, 8 Nov. 2024 But if old-growth trees are replaced with new tree plantations, the new trees may never reach the same size as the original trees, some environmental groups argue. Kurt Kleiner, JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for old-growth 

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of old-growth was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near old-growth

Cite this Entry

“Old-growth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/old-growth. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

old-growth

adjective
ˈōl(d)-ˈgrōth
: of, relating to, or being a forest characterized by the presence of large old trees, dead standing trees, and fallen rotting trees and that is usually in a late stage of development
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!