fern

/fɜːn/noun

A flowerless plant with feathery leaves that reproduces by releasing spores instead of seeds.

Example sentences

“Ferns grow thickly in the damp shade beneath the trees.”
“She keeps a hanging fern in her bathroom because it loves humidity.”

A common word in descriptions of shady, damp places: forest floors, gullies, greenhouses. Ferns are among the oldest plant groups on Earth.

Related words

mossA tiny green plant without seeds that grows in soft patches on soil, rocks, and tree trunks.bushA plant with woody stems that grows shorter than a tree, usually under six meters, and has several stems instead of one trunk.vineA climbing plant on which grapes grow.shrubA bush; a woody plant that is shorter than a tree and usually grows several stems from one base.rootThe part of a plant, usually below the ground, that holds it in place and takes in water and nutrients from the soil.thicketA small but dense patch of bushes, shrubs, or young trees growing close together.