prairie

[ prair-ee ]

noun

1. an extensive, level or slightly undulating, mostly treeless tract of land in the Mississippi valley, characterized by a highly fertile soil and originally covered with coarse grasses, and merging into drier plateaus in the west. Compare pampas, savanna, steppe.
2. a tract of grassland; meadow.
3. (in Florida) a low, sandy tract of grassland often covered with water.
4. Southern U.S. wet grassland; marsh.
5. (initial capital letter) a steam locomotive having a two-wheeled front truck, six driving wheels, and a two-wheeled rear truck.

prairie

/ ˈprɛərɪ /

noun

1. often plural a treeless grassy plain of the central US and S Canada Compare pampas steppe savanna

prairie

/ prâr′ē /

1. An extensive area of flat or rolling grassland, especially the large plain of central North America.

Other Words From

• prairie·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of prairie¹

1675–85; < French: meadow < Vulgar Latin *prātāria, equivalent to Latin prāt ( um ) meadow + -āria, feminine of -ārius -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of prairie¹

C18: from French, from Old French praierie, from Latin prātum meadow

Example Sentences

The ferrets live mainly off of the prairie dogs they catch.

From NewsForKids.net

Two muscle cars were parked in the carpet of prairie brush over his shoulder.

From Salon

I doubted Dryden would last very long in a covered wagon out on the prairie.

From BBC

My favorite: a young bear engaged in a whack-a-mole-like game with a flock of prairie dogs.

From Los Angeles Times

The tech leaders backing the measure must now convince Solano County voters to get behind the audacious idea of erecting a walkable community with tens of thousands of homes on what is now rolling prairie.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• meadow
• pasture
• plain
• savanna
• steppe