Afforest

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈfɒɹɪst/

Definitions

1. To initiate the growth of a forest in a region that previously had no trees at all
2. To transform an area of land by planting trees where none previously grew
3. The process of establishing a forest by introducing trees to open or barren land

Etymology: Here is a twist: "afforest" nearly means the opposite of what its spelling suggests. Its root is "forest," but in medieval England a forest was not a tract of woodland at all. It was land reserved by royal decree for hunting deer and other game, whatever trees or open ground it contained, and the reserved status was the defining feature. To "afforest" land was to bring it under that forest law, often placing ordinary farms and villages under restrictions that bore no relation to planting anything. The word comes from Medieval Latin "afforestare," formed from Latin "ad" (meaning "towards") and "foresta" (forest). Its first recorded use in English dates to the 16th century. Over time the sense shifted from legal designation toward the literal planting of trees, so that today it means establishing woodland on land that had none.

Synonyms: reforest, plant trees, green, wood

Antonyms: deforest, clear-cut