First Known Use: circa 1682
Dictionary
prairie
noun, prai·rie often attributive \ˈprer-ē\
: a large, mostly flat area of land in North America that has few trees and is covered in grasses
Full Definition of PRAIRIE
1
: land in or predominantly in grass
2
: a tract of grassland: as a : a large area of level or rolling land in the Mississippi River valley that in its natural uncultivated state usually has deep fertile soil, a cover of tall coarse grasses, and few trees b : one of the dry treeless plateaus east of the Rocky Mountains that merge on their east side with the prairies proper and are characterized by shorter grasses and drier less fertile soil
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Origin of PRAIRIE
French, from Old French praierie, from Vulgar Latin *prataria, from Latin pratum meadow
Related to PRAIRIE
Other Ecology Terms
PRAIRIE Defined for Kids
prairie
noun prai·rie \ˈprer-ē\
Definition of PRAIRIE for Kids
: a large area of level or rolling grassland
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