vegetation

[ vej-i-tey-shuhn ]

noun

1. all the plants or plant life of a place, taken as a whole:

   the vegetation of the Nile valley.

2. the act or process of vegetating.
3. a dull existence; life devoid of mental or social activity.

   Synonyms: idleness, inactivity, lethargy, sloth

4. Pathology. a morbid growth, or excrescence.

vegetation

/ ˌvɛdʒɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

1. plant life as a whole, esp the plant life of a particular region
2. the process of vegetating
3. pathol any abnormal growth, excrescence, etc
4. a vegetative existence

vegetation

/ vĕj′ĭ-tā′shən /

1. The plants of an area or a region; plant life.
2. An abnormal bodily accretion, especially a clot composed largely of fused blood platelets, fibrin, and sometimes bacteria, that adheres to a diseased heart valve.

Derived Forms

• ˌvegeˈtatious, adjective
• ˌvegeˈtational, adjective

Other Words From

• vege·tation·al adjective
• vege·tation·less adjective
• nonveg·e·tation noun
• preveg·e·tation noun
• under·vege·tation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vegetation¹

1555–65; < Medieval Latin vegetātiōn- (stem of vegetātiō ), equivalent to vegetāt- ( vegetate ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

"Fire is an important tool, and it would have been used to promote the type of vegetation or landscape that was important to them."

From Science Daily

The viscous substance is more effective than water — it hangs up on the vegetation and retains its flame-slowing properties even when it dries, he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Trees and bushes also have positive effects, especially when combined with grassy vegetation.

From Science Daily

Some 1600 years after this fire surge, the ratios of types of pollen trapped in the sediment changed, too, suggesting the burning shifted the vegetation.

From Science Magazine

Schneider said the effects of water withdrawals can be seen in areas where native vegetation has dried up because groundwater levels have declined.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• flora
• greenery