overstory

noun

over·​sto·​ry ˈō-vər-ˌstȯr-ē How to pronounce overstory (audio)
1
: the layer of foliage in a forest canopy
2
: the trees contributing to an overstory

Examples of overstory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Longleaf pine forests are naturally open with abundant light pouring through the overstory, almost like a park. Jamie Dickman, Popular Science, 14 June 2023 The narrative braid, meanwhile — the overstory — grows more tangled. Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2022 The loss of the overstory no longer kept the forest floor and streams in shade, warming cold-water fisheries. Matt Wyatt, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Dec. 2021 This reestablished overstory will shade and cool the creek, provide leaf litter, and improve the habitat for macroinvertebrates, fish, small mammals, birds, and the Rio Grande cutthroat trout. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2021 An overstory is the top foliage from multiple trees that combine to create an overhang or canopy under which people can walk or sit. Gloria Casas, chicagotribune.com, 17 June 2021 Also, the code calls for the buffer zone to include a double row of evergreen shrubs and a mixture of overstory and understory trees. al, 18 May 2021 And research suggests that industrially managed lands, which contain dense stands of uniformly aged trees and no canopy of mature overstory to cut wind speeds, can burn with greater intensity in wildfires. oregonlive, 31 Oct. 2020 Potential Fall 2020 hotspots: Areas with recent fires or logging activity, which remove overstory trees, letting browse species grow. Brian Lovett, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overstory was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near overstory

Cite this Entry

“Overstory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overstory. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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