noun
vegetation
vej-uh-TAY-shun/ˌvedʒəˈteɪʃn/
Plants growing collectively in an area.
Ferns, grasses, and low shrubs form a small patch of vegetation.
Etymology
From a verb meaning ‘enliven’ or ‘grow,’ vegetation first named the process of growing. Its meaning shifted from that process to the plants themselves, considered collectively.
In context
deer are herbivores which means their diet consists entirely of plants they are opportunistic feeders meaning they will consume a variety of vegetation
More examples
- Thick vegetation hides the entrance to the trail.
- Native vegetation provides food and shelter for wildlife.
- Very little vegetation grows on these dry, rocky slopes.
Similar words
- flora
- Emphasizes the plant species present rather than their physical growth.
- greenery
- Emphasizes green leaves and foliage rather than all plant life.