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for·est

(fôrĭst, fŏr-)

1. A growth of trees and other plants covering a large area.

2. A large number of objects bearing a similarity to such a growth, especially a dense collection of tall objects: a forest of skyscrapers.

3. A defined area of land formerly set aside in England as a royal hunting ground.

tr.v. for·est·ed, for·est·ing, for·ests

To plant trees on or cover with trees.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin forestis (silva), outside (forest), from Latin forīs, outside; see dhwer- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

forest·al, fo·restial (fə-rĕschəl) adj.

for′es·tation n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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