Main Entry:

prai·rie

Pronunciation:

\ˈprer-ē\

Function:

noun

Usage:

often attributive

Etymology:

French, from Old French praierie, from Vulgar Latin *prataria, from Latin pratum meadow

Date:

circa 1682

1: land in or predominantly in grass2: 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