# understory

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈʌndəstɔːɹi/ · frequency rank #68,720

## Definitions
1. A story of a building below the stories generally used for residence or work.
2. The (layer of) plants that grow in the shade of the canopy of a forest above the forest floor.

## Etymology
PIE word
 *(H)n̥dʰér
From under- (prefix meaning ‘beneath, under’) + story (“a floor or level”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/understory