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

The next spring, that whole young prairie was filled with little green sprouts. — Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 30 July 2026

About 60,000 acres of the swamp are shallow, watery prairies covered with grass, sedges and other aquatic plants rooted in thick beds of peat. — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026

Baking There aren’t any Trader Joe’s or Costco warehouses on the prairie, so every sweet treat needed to be made by hand. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2026

The Los Angeles man was charged with one count of misdemeanor firing timber or prairie lands, which is punishable by up to 6 months in county jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both. — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 23 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