noun
Uncommon
prairie
PREH-uh-ree
Prairie (noun) means a large stretch of flat or gently rolling grassland with very few trees, especially in North America. Example: “The wagon train crossed hundreds of miles of open prairie.”
noun
1
A large stretch of flat or gently rolling grassland with very few trees, especially in North America.
"The wagon train crossed hundreds of miles of open prairie."
"Bison once roamed the prairies of the American Midwest in vast herds."
"A cool wind rippled through the tall grass of the prairie as the sun set."
How to use prairie
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWide open grassland with hardly any trees, like the plains of the American Midwest or the Canadian Prairies.
Common pairings
prairie grass
open prairie
prairie dog
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Word forms
- Plural
- prairies
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The wagon train crossed hundreds of miles of open _____.
Etymology
Borrowed from French "prairie" ("meadow"), from Latin "pratum," meaning "meadow."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for prairie
See all rhymes for prairie →Frequently asked questions
What does “prairie” mean?
The word “prairie” means a large stretch of flat or gently rolling grassland with very few trees, especially in North America. In plain terms, wide open grassland with hardly any trees, like the plains of the American Midwest or the Canadian Prairies.
How do you pronounce “prairie”?
“Prairie” is pronounced PREH-uh-ree (/ˈpɹɛə.ɹi/ in IPA).
How do you use “prairie” in a sentence?
Here is “prairie” used in a sentence: “The wagon train crossed hundreds of miles of open prairie.”
What part of speech is “prairie”?
“Prairie” is a noun.
Where does the word “prairie” come from?
The word “prairie” comes from Latin. Borrowed from French "prairie" ("meadow"), from Latin "pratum," meaning "meadow.".
Is “prairie” a common word?
“Prairie” is an uncommon word in modern English.
What is the difference between a prairie and a plain?
A prairie specifically refers to a large stretch of flat or gently rolling grassland with very few trees, especially in North America, while a plain is a broader geographic term for any large area of flat land, which may or may not be grassland. All prairies are plains, but not all plains are prairies.
What is the difference between a prairie and a savanna?
A prairie is typically associated with temperate grasslands, especially in North America, with very few trees, while a savanna is a grassland found in tropical or subtropical regions that usually has scattered trees. Climate and tree cover are the main distinctions between the two.
Where are prairies typically found?
Prairies are especially associated with North America, particularly the central regions of the United States and Canada, where large stretches of flat or gently rolling grassland historically dominated the landscape.
