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

There’s Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westcott house, now a museum, its low planes a paean to the Midwestern prairie. —Caitlin Hu, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026

The park is about 60 miles east of Rapid City, and South Dakota Route 44 is a scenic road through open prairie, farms, small towns, and ranches along Rapid Creek, a tributary of the Cheyenne River. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 19 Feb. 2026

This perennial prairie native thrives in poor soil and summer heat, tolerating drought, deer, and pests. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 17 Feb. 2026

Brenna Hernandez European buckthorn grows in sun and shade alike, and thus can invade all kinds of biomes — woodlands , savannas, prairies, pastures, and even empty lots, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources noted. —Adam Harrington, CBS News, 10 Feb. 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
• arbitrary
• aviary
• axillary
• beriberi
• breviary
• budgetary
• capillary
• catenary
• cautionary

Kids Definition

prairie

noun

prai·​rie ˈpre(ə)r-ē 

: a large area of level or rolling grassland