rainforest

noun

rain·​for·​est ˈrān-ˌfȯr-əst How to pronounce rainforest (audio)
-ˌfär-
variants or less commonly rain forest
plural rainforests also rain forests
1
: a tropical woodland with an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches (254 centimeters) and marked by lofty broad-leaved evergreen trees forming a continuous canopy

called also tropical rainforest

2

Examples of rainforest 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.
There, William and Kate will join a group of local schoolchildren for some outdoor learning at the ancient Atlantic rainforest. Simon Perry, People.com, 22 Apr. 2025 This colorful honeycreeper now clings to survival in a sliver of rainforest on the windward slopes of Haleakalā. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025 The cattle farmers seek out new pastures, pushing the agricultural frontier ever deeper into the rainforest. Sarah Sax, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025 Gold mining has ramped up across the Amazon rainforest in recent years, leaving devastated landscapes behind. Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025 Scientists studied nearly 100 trees struck by lightning in the Barro Colorado Nature Monument, a lowland rainforest in Panama, between 2014 and 2019. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2025 Its mountains are home to the world’s largest urban rainforest, with waterfalls, fuzzy capuchin monkeys, and plenty of hiking trails. Joel Balsam, AFAR Media, 1 Apr. 2025 In February, a young man from an isolated Indigenous tribe in Brazil made brief contact with the outside world before returning to the Amazon rainforest. Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025 Yet even knowing what to look for, the two botanists often had to trek for days through rainforests. Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 4 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rainforest was in 1900

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rainforest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rainforest. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

rain forest

noun
1
: an often tropical woodland with a high annual rainfall and very tall evergreen trees with tops forming a continuous layer

called also tropical rain forest

2

More from Merriam-Webster on rainforest

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