Word of the Day
24 April 2026
windthrow
The uprooting and/or overthrowing of a tree caused by the wind.
Why this one
Distinct from stem snap: windthrow means the root plate has lifted, so the tree comes over with soil and stones attached. Freshly thinned or clear-felled edges are the usual trigger, because opening a stand exposes trunks that grew up sheltered.
In use
We lost the whole eastern edge to windthrow after that gale, and half of it is lying across the extraction route with the root plates up.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.