prairie
/'preəri/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A large, mostly flat area of land in North America that is covered in grasses and has very few trees: A prairie is a specific type of grassland ecosystem characterized by tall grasses, deep fertile soil, and a lack of trees due to factors like climate, fire, and grazing.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The vast prairie stretched to the horizon. (The large grassy plain extended as far as one could see.)
- Bison once roamed the North American prairie in massive herds. (Bison used to wander across the grassy plains of North America in very large groups.)
Advanced Usage
- "Prairie fire": A large, fast-moving fire that burns across a grassland.
- The ranchers worked to control the prairie fire before it reached the buildings.
- "Prairie dog": A type of burrowing rodent that lives in colonies on grasslands.
- We watched the prairie dogs pop in and out of their holes.
Variants and Related Words
- Prairie schooner (n): A covered wagon used by pioneers to travel across the North American plains.
- The family traveled west in a prairie schooner.
- Prairie province (n): Refers to a Canadian province located in the grassland region (e.g., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba).
Synonyms
- Grassland: A general term for a large open area of country covered with grass.
- Steppe: A large area of flat unforested grassland, especially in southeastern Europe or Siberia.
- Plain: A broad area of relatively flat land.
Related Phrases
- To prairie-dog (informal verb): To pop one's head up above a cubicle or other partition to look around, reminiscent of a prairie dog's behavior.
- I prairie-dogged over the wall to see who was talking.
Related Idioms
- "God's country": A term sometimes used to refer to the beautiful, open landscapes of the prairie.
- My grandfather always called the wide-open prairie "God's country."