Rainforest Meaning
/ˈɹeɪn.fɒɹ.ɪst/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA forest in a climate with high annual rainfall and no dry season.
Sentence Examples
Most accidents, after all, happen around the corner, not in the rainforest.
The sun and a damp climate made the tropical rainforest.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The Amazon ____ is home to millions of species due to its warm, wet climate.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The Amazon ____ is home to an extraordinary diversity of plant and animal species.
Word Origin & History
From rain + forest, a calque of German Regenwald.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Perhaps the most impressive expression of species diversity is the density of species found in a given area of rainforest."
— 2002, Chris C. Park, Tropical Rainforests, page 27:
"Tropical rainforests in Australia have suffered a fate similar in many ways to that of rainforests elsewhere in the world, but considerable progress in safeguarding the future of what remains has been made."
— 2004, Nigel E. Stork, “24: The Theory and Practice of Planning for Long-Term Conservation of Biodiversity of Wet Tropics Rainforests in Australia”, in Eldredge Bermingham, Christopher W. Dick, Craig Moritz, editors, Tropical Rainforests: Past, Present, and Future, page 508:
"Enjoy your visit to the rainforests, because the next time you go there things could be very different."
— 2014, Nick Hunter, Rainforests, page 38:
"Some researchers worry that rainforests will soon reach a tipping point — a point of no return in which the once-lush forests transition to arid regions."
— 2021 June 22, Sam Romano, “Rainforests are under siege. Here’s what you should know.”, in CNN:
"The Sentinelese hunt in the rainforest and fish in the coastal waters using spears, bows and arrows, as well as homemade narrow outrigger canoes, according to Survival International."
— 2025 April 4, Lex Harvey and Esha Mitra, “US tourist arrested after allegedly attempting to contact ‘world’s most isolated’ tribe”, in CNN:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The Amazon ____ is home to millions of species due to its warm, wet climate.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The Amazon ____ is home to an extraordinary diversity of plant and animal species.