prairie

noun

prai·​rie ˈprer-ē 

often attributive

1

: land in or predominantly in grass

2

: a tract of grassland: such 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

Synonyms of prairie

• steppe
• plain
• grassland
• savanna
• pampa
• meadow
• veld

Examples of prairie in a Sentence

Millions of buffalo once roamed the prairies.

The train tracks extend over miles of prairie.

Recent Examples on the Web

On the one hand, there’s the very dark reality of what life and death looks like in a tale of survival on the prairie — and on the other, there’s the Ingalls enjoying a pretty adorable homemade Christmas. — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 9 July 2026

When growing in the prairie, rattlesnake master’s spiny leaves deter other herbivores as well as some insects. — Sheryl Devore, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026

The near-death experience forces her to confront her sense of isolation out in the prairie, where life is defined by subsistence. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 July 2026

Founded in 1996, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve covers around 10,000 acres—a tiny fraction of the 170 million acres of prairie that once covered North America. — Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 3 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing prairie

• prairie chicken
• prairie dog
• prairie schooner
• prairie soil
• prairie wolf
• short-grass prairie
• tallgrass prairie

Rhymes for prairie

• accessary
• adversary
• ancillary
• apiary
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• bacillary
• beriberi
• bestiary
• breviary
• budgetary

Kids Definition

prairie

noun

prai·​rie ˈpre(ə)r-ē 

: a large area of level or rolling grassland