timberline

noun

tim·​ber·​line ˈtim-bər-ˌlīn How to pronounce timberline (audio)
: the upper limit of arboreal growth in mountains or high latitudes

called also tree line

Examples of timberline 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.
Guiding me into the highlands for red deer, a 300-pound ungulate that lives above timberline amid the picturesque heather, is John Caithness, an affable fifty-something veteran stalker who knows the many hidden coulees and pastures of the estate where stags tend to frequent. Chris Dorsey, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2024 The avalanche danger in those areas is rated as considerable at and above timberline, and moderate below timberline, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. John Meyer, The Denver Post, 13 May 2024 In this mile-wide basin above timberline were about 50 elk — cows, calves, young bulls, great patriarchs with brown, massive, six-point antlers tipped with ivory. Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 2 May 2024 In the West, where elk hunting is most common, hunters can pursue elk from an elevation as low as 4,000 feet to well above the timberline. Jace Bauserman, Field & Stream, 22 Feb. 2024 Aksai Chin also features steep mountains, many far above the timberline, with lakes, streams, and narrow roads cut along mountainsides and through mountain passes. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2023 The out-and-back trek climbs above timberline. Larry Bleiberg, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2021 Or hiking above the timberline on Humphreys Peak, climbing past the last few twisted bristlecone pines to cross a final stretch of alpine tundra and stand for a moment on the roof of Arizona, where the temperature has to be almost chilly, right? Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 17 July 2021 Hike it to the top of Mount Abe, one of the state’s five 4,000-foot peaks; the rocky summit pokes above the timberline and offers stunning 360-degree views that span from the Adirondacks in the west to New Hampshire’s White Mountains in the east. The Editors, Outside Online, 18 Aug. 2020

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of timberline was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near timberline

Cite this Entry

“Timberline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/timberline. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

timberline

noun
tim·​ber·​line -ˌlīn How to pronounce timberline (audio)
: the upper limit beyond which trees do not grow (as on mountains)

called also tree line

More from Merriam-Webster on timberline

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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