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

After a few years of pause, Hogg returned to the runway in 2009 with the kaleidoscopic Galaxy Warriors collection, and staged her first Paris show with a plethora of playful PVC prairie looks in 2012. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 26 Nov. 2025

There were no forests or prairies—land was largely dominated by slimy microbial mats. —Taylor Mitchell Brown, Scientific American, 25 Nov. 2025

The immense change from the prairie to the Badlands is like discovering a whole new world. —Amy Nelson, Twin Cities, 23 Nov. 2025

Key features include a restoration of the river bluff and reintroduction of native plant species, including oak savanna and upland prairie. —Aki Nace, CBS News, 17 Nov. 2025

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