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

Court records show that he was charged for allegedly causing a fire on timber or prairie lands while trespassing. —Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 23 Jan. 2026

Down the block, a working windmill towers over the prairie. —Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 22 Jan. 2026

Once built out, the neighborhood will include two dozen single-story homes in Spanish, modern prairie and farmhouse styles, Joe said. —Sacbee.com, 22 Jan. 2026

In the Pawnee National Grassland of far northeastern Colorado are twin mounds that rise 300 feet above the prairie, dominating the view for miles. —R. Scott Rappold, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 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