terrace

1 of 2

noun

ter·​race ˈter-əs 

ˈte-rəs

1

a

: a relatively level paved or planted area adjoining a building

b

: a colonnaded porch or promenade

c

: a flat roof or open platform

2

a

: one of usually a series of horizontal ridges made in a hillside to increase cultivatable land, conserve moisture, or minimize erosion

b

: a raised embankment with the top leveled

3

: a level ordinarily narrow plain usually with steep front bordering a river, lake, or sea

also : a similar undersea feature

4

a

: a row of houses or apartments on raised ground or a sloping site

b

: a group of row houses

c

: a strip of park in the middle of a street often planted with trees or shrubs

d

: street

5

: a section of a British soccer stadium set aside for standing spectators

terrace

2 of 2

verb

terraced; terracing

transitive verb

1

: to provide (something, such as a building or hillside) with a terrace

2

: to make into a terrace

Synonyms

Noun

• balcony
• deck
• porch

Examples of terrace in a Sentence

Noun

rice growing in hillside terraces

For sale: large three-bedroom house with adjoining terrace and garden.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

All staterooms and suites on Le Commandant Charcot feature private balconies or terraces with room for up to 245 guests. —Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025

The main deck was conceived as a loggia, or roofed terrace, on the sea. —Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 8 Sep. 2025

Verb

The soil is actually quite poor––limestone, sandstone, and marine upper cretaceous marls––and the vineyards terraced, so the grapes have to struggle a bit to prove their worth. —John Mariani, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

By 1938, Leitch had made Goodison the first stadium to have seats and terracing on all four sides, all of them double-decker, which was also groundbreaking. —Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 17 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French, platform, terrace, from Old French, from Old Occitan terrassa, from terra earth, from Latin, earth, land; akin to Latin torrēre to parch — more at thirst

First Known Use

Noun

1515, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for terrace

• derris
• ferrous
• heiress
• maris
• paras
• teras
• varus
• canaris
• embarrass
• icterus
• nonferrous
• polaris

Kids Definition

terrace

1 of 2 noun

ter·​race ˈter-əs 

1

a

: a flat roof or open platform

b

: a level area next to a building

2

a

: a raised piece of land with the top leveled off

b

: one of a group of horizontal ridges made in a hillside to conserve moisture and prevent loss of soil for agriculture

3

: a row of houses on raised ground or a sloping site

terrace

2 of 2 verb

terraced; terracing

: to make into a terrace or supply with terraces