old growthn.adj.
/ˌəʊl(d) ˈɡrəʊθ/, U.S. /ˈoʊl(d) ˈɡroʊθ/, /ˌoʊl(d) ˈɡroʊθ/ North American.
A. n.
An original or virgin growth of timber, not yet disturbed by human settlement or cultivation; timber or woodland where no felling has taken place.
ΚΠ
1842 Z. Thompson Hist. Vermont iii. 127/1 The old growth of timber is principally rock maple, beech, birch [etc.].
1871 A. Bryant Forest Trees i. 5 The forests of Maine are said to be so completely stripped, that scarcely a pine tree of old growth is to be seen.
1891 B. E. Fernow What is Forestry? 17 Where..the mother or nurse trees are removed, a thicket of young beeches has replaced the old growth.
1926 Science 7 May 476/2 The same plot was resurveyed and the ratio of new to old growth was found to be only three in one.
1992 Joiners' Q. No. 33. 30/1 We seek out the remaining old growth because its tight grain lumber has strength, stability, and beauty.
B. adj.
Usually with hyphen. Of a tree, stand, or forest: consisting of or belonging to old growth; virgin; (also) mature or overmature. Also of timber: derived from such a tree.
ΚΠ
1881 N.Y. Times 12 Nov. 2/1 The splendid timber which the old growth pines of the Northern States yielded 50 or 75 years ago.
1897 New Eng. Mag. June 409/2 This area of old growth trees can be increased only by slow methods.
1921 Sci. Monthly Jan. 23 We cannot go on indefinitely relying upon the old-growth forests.
1972 Christian Sci. Monitor 28 Sept. 16/3 The casthook..wasn't big enough to get a firm bite into an old-growth pine.
1992 St. Louis (Missouri) Post-Dispatch 10 May a8/1 The timber industry says plenty of old-growth forest still exists.
1999 New Yorker 26 Apr. 26/2 They'll carry fourfold rules ($35) made of rare, old-growth boxwood.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1842