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

This fire is part of an effort to return the field to native prairie, a landscape Martin said depends on fire to thrive. —Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026

When prairie goes under the plow, most of the organic matter disappears, turning living water‑holding, nutrient‑rich soil into mineral dust. —Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026

Naturalists and other scientists frequently visit the prairie to research those species. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026

The colorful flying insects adorning the mural near 64th Street and Becher Place in West Allis could soon be joined by real-life counterparts — if a local group achieves its goal of transforming the area into a prairie pollinator garden. —Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 23 Mar. 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