prairie

noun

prai·​rie ˈprer-ē How to pronounce prairie (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Image In a pale prairie dress styled with blond wavy hair, the singer conjured an effortlessly glamorous milkmaid while performing with Arca. Anthony Rotunno, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 These birds are often seen foraging, perhaps stepping across the prairie in a line to flush insect prey from the grass. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2025 This is a space committed to capturing the sojourners who are determined to travel in headwear that—while perhaps practical for herding cattle across the prairie—is decidedly impractical for air travel. Teaghan Skulszki, Outside Online, 12 Apr. 2025 The path led across a watery prairie feathered with saw grass. Stanley Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prairie

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of prairie was circa 1682

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prairie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

prairie

noun
prai·​rie ˈpre(ə)r-ē How to pronounce prairie (audio)
: a large area of level or rolling grassland

More from Merriam-Webster on prairie

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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