Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To convert (open land) into a forest by planting trees or their seeds.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To convert, as bare or cultivated land, into forest, as was done by the first Norman kings in England, for the purpose of providing themselves with hunting-grounds.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To convert into a forest.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To make into forest

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb establish a forest on previously unforested land

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Medieval Latin afforēstāre : Latin ad-, ad- + Medieval Latin forēstāre (from forēsta, forest; see forest).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

First attested in the 16th century. From Medieval Latin afforēstō, from ad ("towards") + forēsta ("forest")

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Examples

  • A program to afforest denuded or severely eroded land has resulted in the planting of about one million trees in 70 areas subject to soil erosion.

    Land tenure and management in the boreal region 2009

  • The ambition of the Modern State Fellowship was to become the landlord of the planet and either to mine, afforest, pasture, and cultivate directly or to have these tasks performed by responsible tenants, or groups and associations of tenants under its general control.

    The Shape of Things to Come Herbert George 2006

  • She or he will also inform immediate neighbours (i.e. properties which physically abut the applicant's property) in writing of the intention to afforest.

    ANC Daily News Briefing 1995

  • Several types can be used to afforest sand dunes and saline wastelands.

    Chapter 8 1990

  • But it is certain from Domesday and the Chronicle that William did afforest a considerable tract of land in Hampshire; he set it apart for the purposes of hunting; he fenced it in by special and cruel laws -- stopping indeed short of death -- for the protection of his pleasures, and in this process some men lost their lands, and were driven from their homes.

    William the Conqueror Edward Augustus Freeman 1857

  • Mist Water Harvesting Project in Oman Initiated water harvesting to afforest the mountains in the southern Dhofar governorate.

    WN.com - Articles related to Rs 3 cr for eco tourism in Valmiki 2010

  • "We want to keep our forests intact and re-afforest those that have over the years been degraded.

    SciDev.Net 2009

  • "Until the spiric be fioured u/ion 21s from on highland the luiUleriiess be a fruitful field.) and the fruitful field be afforest.

    Letters, and sketches of sermons : in three volumes 1812

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