terra

noun ter·ra \ ˈter-ə \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Definition of terra

plural terrae play \ˈter-(ˌ)ē, -ˌī\

: any of the relatively light-colored highland areas on the surface of the moon or a planet

Recent Examples of terra from the Web

Charred terra cotta roof tiles lay among the debris, and azure pool waters were turned chocolate.

— Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Green grass, black lava at Guatemala golf club," 3 July 2018
The Wrigley Building is one of Chicago’s most recognizable buildings, with its distinctive clock tower and a facade made from more than 250,000 terra-cotta tiles.

— ryan ori, chicagotribune.com, "Chicago billionaire completes $255 million purchase of Wrigley Building," 29 June 2018
Or go with terra-cotta or a nice heavy glazed ceramic and leave them in place.

— sally mccabe, Philly.com, "June 22-28: In the garden, it's time to…," 22 June 2018
Qin ruled from 256 B.C.E. until 210 B.C.E., united much of China and was buried near Xi'an with his famous terra cotta army.

— gretchen vogel, Science | AAAS, "Vanished ape found in ancient Chinese tomb, giving clues to its disappearance," 21 June 2018
Inside, the floors are made from mosaic stone, embossed terra-cotta tiles, and oak.

— liz stinson, Curbed, "Restored 19th-century train station home asks $895K," 8 June 2018
Set on an acre in Weston, a suburb of Miami, the Spanish-style home lines its living spaces with terra-cotta tile and Brazilian hardwood.

— jack flemming, latimes.com, "Former Marlin Hanley Ramirez looks to bag a buyer for Florida mansion," 31 May 2018
There are four matte and metallic eye pencils in shades: Immortal (bronze shimmer), Copper Foil (shimmery copper), Rustique (golden terra-cotta), and Cocoa (deep chocolate brown).

— shannon barbour, The Cut, "This Palette Was Made for Doing Makeup on the Go," 31 May 2018
Those purchases included terra-cotta pieces from Carson Pirie Scott, the Garrick Theater, and the Stock Exchange.

— julia thiel, Chicago Reader, "The City Museum in Saint Louis will do anything—even risk eternal damnation—to build its Louis Sullivan collection," 30 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'terra.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of terra

New Latin, from Latin, land

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1946

in the meaning defined above

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