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• fern
  fern

  noun

  any seedless, nonflowering vascular plant of the class Filicinae, of tropical to temperate regions, characterized by true roots produced from a rhizome, triangular fronds that uncoil upward and have a branching vein system, and reproduction by spores contained in sporangia that appear as brown dots on the underside of the fronds.
• Fern
  Fern

  noun

  a female given name.

fern

¹ American  

[furn] / fɜrn /

noun

ferns plural

1. any seedless, nonflowering vascular plant of the class Filicinae, of tropical to temperate regions, characterized by true roots produced from a rhizome, triangular fronds that uncoil upward and have a branching vein system, and reproduction by spores contained in sporangia that appear as brown dots on the underside of the fronds.

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Fern ² American  

[furn] / fɜrn /

noun

1. a female given name.

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fern British  

/ fɜːn /

noun

1. any tracheophyte plant of the phylum Filicinophyta , having roots, stems, and fronds and reproducing by spores formed in structures (sori) on the fronds See also tree fern

2. any of certain similar but unrelated plants, such as the sweet fern

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fern Scientific  

/ fûrn /

1. Any of numerous seedless vascular plants belonging to the phylum Pterophyta that reproduce by means of spores and usually have feathery fronds divided into many leaflets. Most species of ferns are homosporous (producing only one kind of spore). The haploid spore grows into a small, usually flat gametophyte known as a prothallus, which is undifferentiated into roots, stems, and leaves. The green prothallus anchors itself with hairlike extensions known as rhizoids and bears both archegonia (organs producing female gametes) and antheridia (organs producing male gametes). The male gametes require the presence of water to swim to the female gametes and fertilize the eggs. Normally only one embryo is produced, and it then grows out of the gametophyte plant as a diploid sporophyte plant that has roots, stems, and leaves and conducts photosynthesis, while the smaller gametophyte withers away. The leaves of these sporophytes eventually produce sporangia (in some species occurring in clusters known as sori). Under dry conditions, the sori burst releasing hundreds of thousands or millions of spores. Ferns were abundant in the Carboniferous period and exist today in about 11,000 species, about three-quarters of which live in tropical climates.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fernless
  adjective
• fernlike
  adjective
• ferny
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ferns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fern

before 900; Middle English ferne, Old English fearn; cognate with German Farn fern, Sanskrit parná feather

Explanation

A fern is a leafy green plant that grows in shady spots. If you see feathery fronds growing on the forest floor, they're probably ferns. Ferns are interesting plants in that they spread using spores (similar to the way mushrooms and other fungi reproduce), and they have a vascular system. Their complex leaves, like our circulatory system, move water and nutrients throughout the fern. Unlike most plants, ferns don't have seeds or flowers, but their delicate leaves are lovely enough to make them popular house plants.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fern Fern ferns

Some areas looked pixelated on the Chromebook, and on the Air I noticed details, like the leaves of a fern or rust on an airlock door, that weren’t as clear on the others.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2026

Inside, the gardens are divided into houses highlighting different plants and climates — from the Palm House with over 70 palms, to the fern room, to the desert house filled with cacti and succulents.

From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2025

For the fork fern, the research team estimates that less than 1% of its genome does.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2024

A fern from a Pacific island carries 50 times as much DNA as humans do.

From New York Times ● Jun. 7, 2024

Blackberry scrambled up into the fern and then returned to the top of the bank, fidgeting nervously and half inclined to bolt at nothing.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

January traffic was hurt by the winter storm Fern, the company said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026

Gothard told the jury he was "dazed and confused" after he was punched by Fern, who knocked the glasses off his head.

From BBC ● May 7, 2026

Fern Dixon says she had become so used to the pain of her agonising periods that she almost died from peritonitis and sepsis in early 2025.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026

Sales at U.S. retailers fell in January for the first time in three months as Winter Storm Fern depressed spending at car dealers, gas stations and brick-and-mortar stores.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

She was up on her feet and Fern shrunk inside of herself.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

The forest sees 15 million visitors each year, making it vulnerable to fires -- quite apart from its sandy soil and vegetation consisting of ferns and highly flammable conifers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Many resembled ferns more than modern animals and appear to have lacked mouths, organs, and the ability to move.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 10, 2026

Their rich, sheltered microclimates are home to mosses, lichens, fungi and ferns, with some species rarely found outside the remaining fragments of Cumbrian woodland.

From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026

In my Connecticut backyard, I’ve been reclaiming the turf under my maples and birches by planting native ferns, geraniums and woodland asters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

Every once in a while, the view out the window changed from woods, thick with pine trees and ferns and moss-covered rocks, to a wide-open view of the mountains stretching on forever in the distance.

From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor

Related Words

• scrub
• thicket