Definition of savanna
1 : a treeless plain especially in Florida
2a : a tropical or subtropical grassland (as of eastern Africa or northern South America) containing scattered trees and drought-resistant undergrowthb : a temperate grassland with scattered trees (such as oaks)
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Recent Examples of savanna from the Web
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Oak trees were the dominant species, often thriving in savannas, open vista landscapes punctuated with tall, sprawling, majestic trees.
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Hatred is part of the connective tissue of human evolution, stretching from the savannas of east Africa to the streets of Manchester.
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Tucked into a humid corner of Central America, Belize rises from Caribbean coral, cayes, and atolls in the east, to coastal wetlands and savannas, and finally to upland pine forests and river valleys in the west.
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There’ll be rainforest, swamp, seasonal forest, forest, savanna, woods, taiga, desert, grassy desert and tundra.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'savanna'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of savanna
Spanish zavana, from Taino zabana
Other Ecology Terms
SAVANNA Defined for English Language Learners
savanna
playDefinition of savanna for English Language Learners
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: a large flat area of land with grass and very few trees especially in Africa and South America
SAVANNA Defined for Kids
savanna
playsavannah
\sə-ˈva-nə\Definition of savanna for Students
: land of warm regions (as Africa) that is covered with grass and only a few shrubs and trees
Learn More about savanna
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See words that rhyme with savanna Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for savanna Spanish Central: Translation of savanna Nglish: Translation of savanna for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about savanna
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