Definition of terrain
1a (1) : a geographic area (2) : a piece of land : groundb : the physical features of a tract of land
2 : terrane 1
3a : a field of knowledge or interestb : environment, milieu
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Examples of terrain in a Sentence
We had to drive over some rough terrain.
We hiked through a variety of terrains.
Recent Examples of terrain from the Web
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Officers wind past on all-terrain vehicles, on horseback, on foot.
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The music calls to mind the electric-acoustic composers Richard Tietelbaum and George Lewis while taking the throttling experimental rock of bands including Battles, Liars and Women into more deeply cracked terrain.
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The modified cars, extreme conditions, terrain and speed lead to captivating drama and suspense.
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A Crown Point girl remains in serious condition after suffering head injuries during an all-terrain vehicle crash Monday afternoon.
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On Wednesday, Kay will hoof it up and down the steep terrain of the Poppy Hills Golf Club, intently following his son, Donald, who at 17 will never know the hardships of his father, but certainly understands where humble, hard work can get you.
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The same technology is used to delineate terrain from airplanes and detect speeding violations.
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Extremists made the city their stronghold in the 1980s and 1990s, protected by the rugged terrain of the surrounding Green Mountain range.
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Riders had to navigate difficult terrain, tough weather, and the tense politics between Americans and various Native tribes.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'terrain'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of terrain
French, land, ground, from Old French terrein, from Vulgar Latin *terranum, alteration of Latin terrenum, from neuter of terrenus of earth — more at terrene
First Known Use: 1766
Other Geology Terms
anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale
TERRAIN Defined for English Language Learners
TERRAIN Defined for Kids
terrain
playDefinition of terrain for Students
: the features of the surface of a piece of land hilly terrain swampy terrain
Learn More about terrain
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See words that rhyme with terrain Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for terrain Spanish Central: Translation of terrain Nglish: Translation of terrain for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of terrain for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about terrain
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