undergrow

English

Etymology

under- +‎ grow

Verb

undergrow (third-person singular simple present undergrows, present participle undergrowing, simple past undergrew, past participle undergrown)

1. (intransitive) To grow to an inferior, or less than the usual, size or height.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wyclif to this entry?)

2. (transitive) To grow underneath.
   • 1910, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], Strictly Business‎^[1]:

     Descending the side of the levee, he penetrated the rank density of weeds and willows that undergrew the trees until the river's edge, shouting Victor's name.

References

“undergrow”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.