terra

noun ter·ra \ ˈter-ə \

Definition of terra

plural terrae play \-(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

As the sun’s rays broke across the dunes, the color of the sand seemed to change from dark terra cotta to light orange.

— terri colby, chicagotribune.com, "Camels, casbahs and more make for a magical visit to Morocco," 28 Aug. 2017
People have been surrounding themselves with objects of worship since time immemorial, even if today's fetish is more likely to be a Chewbacca collectible than a terra-cotta object.

— the new york times, NOLA.com, "'Brigsby Bear' movie review: A weird but wonderful bit of offbeat joy," 18 Aug. 2017
In the decades since Haig first set out to forecast the weather so spy satellites could see, five weather satellites were built by the Air Force, four of which were launched from terra firma.

— meg jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "World War II veteran from Madison recognized for weather satellite research," 9 Aug. 2017
Large, elegant blue Agave americana and striped Agave americana marginata grow in terra-cotta pots, elevated for architectural interest.

— nan sterman, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Stunning streetscapes are inspiration for gardeners," 3 Aug. 2017
The casts can be painted to resemble various materials, including gilded wood, bronze, terra cotta, marble and stone.

— elaine sciolino, The Seattle Times, "At a family workshop near Paris, the ‘drowned Mona Lisa’ death mask lives on," 20 July 2017
The city began requiring scaffolding as part of a 1980 city law that established regular inspections of building facades after a college student was killed by a chunk of terra cotta that fell from an apartment house.

— winnie hu, New York Times, "Scaffolding on Harlem Corner: Making Eyes Sore for at Least 17 Years," 16 July 2017
New varieties are now available with flower colors in pinks, reds and terra cotta.

— karen dardick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Spruce up garden with these heat seekers," 14 July 2017
And so BKSK exercised the architect’s prerogative to enshrine what time erodes, translating the cast foliage designs of the 19th century into contemporary digital abstractions molded in glazed terra-cotta.

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "The Strange State of New York’s Street-Level Retail Storefronts," 14 July 2017

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

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First Known Use: 1946

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terra

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