fern

¹ American  

[furn] / fɜrn /

noun

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

• fernless adjective
• fernlike adjective
• ferny adjective

Etymology

Origin of fern

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

Example Sentences

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

He noted the size and shape of the fern leaves, took photos, and made notes.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• scrub
• thicket