forest floor
noun
: the richly organic layer of soil and debris characteristic of forested land
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web At Ape Cave, a tight pahoehoe seal formed on the forest floor while lava kept flowing below, carving a unique 2-mile-long tube that was eventually left empty as the lava trickled away again. 
Scott Hewitt, oregonlive, 19 Aug. 2022 Well, there are the six-inch-long yellow slugs that creep around the forest floor after every rain. Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 As a result, the forest floor inside the grove was mostly devoid of dead branches and other combustible debris, which made the flames easier for firefighters to manage. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Aug. 2022 High-toned aromatics unfold on the nose—violets over forest floor, graphite wrapped in lavender and spice. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 26 June 2022 Alphonse Molosa wandered into the thicket recently and clambered atop a conquest: a giant African coralwood tree lying on the forest floor, its bright orange insides bared. New York Times, 14 June 2022 Some species, such as the giant sequoia, rely on the heat of a fire to dry out and crack open their cones to release seeds across the forest floor. New York Times, 27 July 2022 Grass then was still an odd little weed, vying for a spot on the forest floor. Julia Rosen, The Atlantic, 25 July 2022 The plan calls for cutting smaller trees and vegetation and using prescribed fires — intentionally lit and monitored by firefighters during damp conditions — to remove the decaying needles, sticks and logs that pile up on the forest floor. Brian Melley, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2022 See More
Scott Hewitt, oregonlive, 19 Aug. 2022 Well, there are the six-inch-long yellow slugs that creep around the forest floor after every rain. Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 As a result, the forest floor inside the grove was mostly devoid of dead branches and other combustible debris, which made the flames easier for firefighters to manage. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Aug. 2022 High-toned aromatics unfold on the nose—violets over forest floor, graphite wrapped in lavender and spice. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 26 June 2022 Alphonse Molosa wandered into the thicket recently and clambered atop a conquest: a giant African coralwood tree lying on the forest floor, its bright orange insides bared. New York Times, 14 June 2022 Some species, such as the giant sequoia, rely on the heat of a fire to dry out and crack open their cones to release seeds across the forest floor. New York Times, 27 July 2022 Grass then was still an odd little weed, vying for a spot on the forest floor. Julia Rosen, The Atlantic, 25 July 2022 The plan calls for cutting smaller trees and vegetation and using prescribed fires — intentionally lit and monitored by firefighters during damp conditions — to remove the decaying needles, sticks and logs that pile up on the forest floor. Brian Melley, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1849, in the meaning defined above