underbrush
Thicket beneath trees
Underbrush is the tangled growth of shrubs, small trees, and vegetation beneath the main canopy of a forest.
It's what makes walking through woods difficult—the dense, low-lying plants that catch your feet and scratch your legs: We hacked through the underbrush with machetes.
Figuratively, underbrush can mean accumulated clutter or obstacles that need clearing away.
Spore-bearing vascular plants
- saplingsJuvenile trees
- seedlingsNewly germinated plants
- briarsThorny wild shrubs
- brackenCoarse, spreading fern
groundcover · shrubs · bushes · brambles · vines · weeds · nettles · herbaceous
Dense shrub cluster
- tangleTwisted mass of strands
- brambleThorny wild shrub
- scrubClean by rubbing hard
- snarlHostile vocal threat
matted · impenetrable · overgrown · choked · knotted · tangled · impassable · dense
Area of low shrubs
- forest floorGround beneath trees
- woodlandForested land area
- clearingTreeless space in forest
- trailsideBeside a hiking route
ravine · gully · hillside · slope · streambank · timberline · chaparral · heath
Conceal or pelt
- coverProtect by overlaying
- shelterProtected place or structure
- camouflageConcealment through visual blending
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
screen · obscure · veil · shroud · covert · sneak · lurk · crouch
Parasites or clock sounds
- thornsSharp plant projections
- poison ivyAllergenic vine causing rash
- snakesElongated limbless reptiles
- spidersWeb-spinning eight-legged creatures
tripping · scratches · burrs · nettles · allergens · uneven ground · fire risk · deadfall
ferns
Spore-bearing vascular plants
bracken · groundcover · shrubs · bushes · brambles · vines · weeds · nettles · herbaceous · shoots
thicket
Dense shrub cluster
snarl · matted · impenetrable · overgrown · choked · knotted · tangled · impassable · dense · thick
scrubland
Area of low shrubs
- forest floorGround beneath trees
- woodlandForested land area
- clearingTreeless space in forest
trailside · ravine · gully · hillside · slope · streambank · timberline · chaparral · heath · moor
hide
Conceal or pelt
- coverProtect by overlaying
- shelterProtected place or structure
- camouflageConcealment through visual blending
ambush · screen · obscure · veil · shroud · covert · sneak · lurk · crouch · stalk
ticks
Parasites or clock sounds
- thornsSharp plant projections
- poison ivyAllergenic vine causing rash
- snakesElongated limbless reptiles
spiders · tripping · scratches · burrs · nettles · allergens · uneven ground · fire risk · deadfall · snags
rustling
Soft crackling noise
habitat · cover · rodents · rabbits · deer · birds · insects · snakes · predators · prey
machete
Heavy broad-bladed knife
chop · bushwhacking · pruning · trimming · remove · thin · controlled burn · firebreak · path · passage
- forest lifesquirrel, fox, rabbit, owl, woodpecker
- Forest Termsoak, pine, spruce, fir, cedar
- woodlandoak tree, oak trees, beech, oaks, birch
- dark forestshadows, gloom, moonlight, owls, wolves
- forest featurespine trees, redwoods, old-growth forest, oak trees, sequoias
- forest trailstrail, trails, hiking trail, dirt trail, nature trail
underbrushcanopy
Overhead protective covering
tree canopy · treetops · overstory · forest canopy · emergent layer
underbrushclearing
Treeless space in forest
open ground · glade · meadow · parkland · cleared land
under, brush, underneath, undergrowth, brushwood, underfoot, understory, understorey