forest dwellers

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   People or animals that make their home in a forest.

   Grammar: Always plural in this form; for one person or animal, use 'a forest dweller'.

   Patterns

   • the forest dwellers
   • forest dwellers in something
   • forest dwellers of something

   The forest dwellers build their homes from wood and leaves.

   Many forest dwellers depend on the trees for food and shelter.

   The documentary follows forest dwellers in the Amazon.

2. 2nounpluralbiology

   Animals that live mainly in forests, as opposed to open plains or deserts.

   Grammar: Used especially in biology and nature writing; the singular is 'forest dweller'.

   Patterns

   • forest dwellers such as something
   • many forest dwellers

   Deer and bears are among the forest dwellers in this region.

   Forest dwellers have adapted to life among dense trees.

   The study compares forest dwellers with animals that live in grasslands.

Word forms

Common combinations

indigenous forest dwellers

Indigenous forest dwellers have cared for these lands for centuries.

forest dwellers rely on

Forest dwellers rely on the trees for food and shelter.

forest dwellers in the Amazon

Forest dwellers in the Amazon face threats from logging.

protect forest dwellers

New laws aim to protect forest dwellers and their way of life.

Synonyms and how they differ

woodlanders

More literary and less common; usually refers to people who live in woods, not animals.

forest people

Focuses on human communities; 'forest dwellers' can include animals.

Word family

forest noun

A large area covered mainly with trees.

dweller noun

A person or animal that lives in a particular place.

dwell verb

To live in a particular place (formal or literary).

Commonly confused: forest dwellers or forest dweller?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “forest dwellers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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