# vegetation

/ˌvɛdʒəˈteɪʃən/ (US) · /vˌɛdʒɪtˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/vegetation
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. plant life

noun · CEFR B2

all the plants, trees, and flowers that grow in a specific place.

For teachers: the collective plant life of a particular region, habitat, or geological period. Uncountable in general usage.

- The desert has very little vegetation because there is almost no rain.
- The dense tropical vegetation made it nearly impossible for the explorers to maintain a straight path through the valley without clearing a trail.

### 2. abnormal growth

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a small, unhealthy growth on a part of the body, like a heart valve.

For teachers: an abnormal growth of tissue, often composed of fibrin and platelets, typically found on heart valves in cases of endocarditis.

- The doctor used an ultrasound to look for vegetation on the patient's heart.
- The echocardiogram revealed significant vegetation on the mitral valve, confirming the clinical suspicion of bacterial endocarditis.

### 3. the process of growing

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

the natural process of a plant growing and developing.

For teachers: the biological act or process of growing in the manner of a plant.

- Scientists studied the rapid vegetation of the area after the volcanic eruption.
- The study focused on the rate of vegetation in nutrient-poor soils compared to those enriched by organic matter.

## Examples

- The tropical island is covered in thick, green vegetation.
- After the heavy rains, the desert floor was suddenly hidden by a layer of low-lying vegetation.
- The researchers documented how the local vegetation changed as they climbed higher up the mountain, moving from dense broadleaf forests to sparse alpine shrubs.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.