terrain

American  

[tuh-reyn] / təˈreɪn /

noun

1. a tract of land, especially as considered with reference to its natural features, military advantages, etc.

2. Geology. terrane.

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terrain British  

/ təˈreɪn, ˈtɛreɪn /

noun

1. ground or a piece of ground, esp with reference to its physical character or military potential

   radio reception can be difficult in mountainous terrain

   a rocky terrain

2. a variant spelling of terrane

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Etymology

Origin of terrain

1720–30; < French ≪ Vulgar Latin *terrānum, noun use of neuter of *terrānus of land. See terra, -an

Example Sentences

Hundreds of police have pursued Freeman through the region's rugged terrain over the past seven months, pouring resources into one of Australia's largest manhunts.

From Barron's

The terrain might look dry, dusty and seems rather barren, but it's far from that.

From BBC

Given the geopolitical terrain, North American buyers may see their first solid-state BEVs badged as Toyotas.

From The Wall Street Journal

Look at the region, look at the terrain, look at the travel patterns and information consumption of the Iranian people.

From The Wall Street Journal

The best a dictionary can do is map that unstable terrain for a moment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• area
• contour
• field
• ground
• land
• province
• region
• soil
• territory
• topography
• turf