grassland

[ gras-land, grahs- ]

noun

1. an area, as a prairie, in which the natural vegetation consists largely of perennial grasses, characteristic of subhumid and semiarid climates.
2. land with grass growing on it, especially farmland used for grazing or pasture.

grassland

/ ˈɡrɑːsˌlænd /

noun

1. land, such as a prairie, on which grass predominates
2. land reserved for natural grass pasture

grassland

/ grăs′lănd′ /

1. An area that is dominated by grass or grasslike vegetation. Moderately dry climatic conditions and seasonal disturbances, such as floods or fires, are generally conducive to the growth of grasses and prohibitive of that of trees and shrubs. Grasslands are found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions and typically occupy regions between forests and deserts.

Word History and Origins

Origin of grassland¹

An Americanism dating back to 1675–85; grass + land

Example Sentences

We cross a vast countryside - scrub and grassland plains interspersed with views of lush farms – and pass a meandering river, craggy terrain and undulating hills.

From BBC

But the station was known for the intensity of its calls — grassland fires, stabbings, a cat stuck in a tree that turned out to be a mountain lion.

From Los Angeles Times

Stretching more than 8,000 square miles, Kern is the state’s third-largest county by land area and encompasses varied topography, from arid desert to scrubby grassland and mountain forests.

From Los Angeles Times

The effectively permanent storage of carbon that companies like Graphyte and Vaulted Deep claim to provide is a major advantage, while a forest or grassland might burn in a fire tomorrow, as all those no-longer-stored greenhouse gases go up in flames.

From Salon

Jim made the grassland plains between Northern Victoria and New South Wales his home following a backpacking holiday in 2006, and despite taking a keen interest in British politics, does not intend to return to the UK.

From BBC

Related Words

• pasture
• plain
• prairie
• savanna
• steppe