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Webster 1913 Edition


Prairie

Prai′rie

,
Noun.
[F., an extensive meadow, OF.
praerie
, LL.
prataria
, fr. L.
pratum
a meadow.]
1.
An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies and the Rocky mountains.
From the forests and the
prairies
,
From the great lakes of the northland.
Longfellow.
2.
A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called natural meadow.
Prairie chicken
(Zool.)
,
any American grouse of the genus
Tympanuchus
, especially
Tympanuchus Americanus
(formerly
Tympanuchus cupido
), which inhabits the prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the sharp-tailed grouse.
Prairie clover
(Bot.)
,
any plant of the leguminous genus
Petalostemon
, having small rosy or white flowers in dense terminal heads or spikes. Several species occur in the prairies of the United States.
Prairie dock
(Bot.)
,
a coarse composite plant (
Silphium terebinthaceum
) with large rough leaves and yellow flowers, found in the Western prairies.
Prairie dog
(Zool.)
,
a small American rodent (
Cynomys Ludovicianus
) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in the ground in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like that of a dog. Called also
prairie marmot
.
Prairie grouse
.
Same as
Prairie chicken
, above.
Prairie hare
(Zool.)
,
a large long-eared Western hare (
Lepus campestris
). See
Jack rabbit
, under 2d
Jack
.
Prairie hawk
,
Prairie falcon
(Zool.)
,
a falcon of Western North America (
Falco Mexicanus
). The upper parts are brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under parts, longitudinal streaks and spots of brown.
Prairie hen
.
(Zool.)
Same as
Prairie chicken
, above.
Prairie itch
(Med.)
,
an affection of the skin attended with intense itching, which is observed in the Northern and Western United States; – also called
swamp itch
,
winter itch
.
Prairie marmot
.
(Zool.)
Same as
Prairie dog
, above.
Prairie mole
(Zool.)
,
a large American mole (
Scalops argentatus
), native of the Western prairies.
Prairie pigeon
,
Prairie plover
, or
Prairie snipe
(Zool.)
,
the upland plover. See
Plover
,
Noun.
, 2.
Prairie rattlesnake
(Zool.)
,
the massasauga.
Prairie snake
(Zool.)
,
a large harmless American snake (
Masticophis flavigularis
). It is pale yellow, tinged with brown above.
Prairie squirrel
(Zool.)
,
any American ground squirrel of the genus
Spermophilus
, inhabiting prairies; – called also
gopher
.
Prairie turnip
(Bot.)
,
the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous root of a leguminous plant (
Psoralea esculenta
) of the Upper Missouri region; also, the plant itself. Called also
pomme blanche
, and
pomme de prairie
.
Prairie warbler
(Zool.)
,
a bright-colored American warbler (
Dendroica discolor
). The back is olive yellow, with a group of reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and the parts around the eyes are bright yellow; the sides of the throat and spots along the sides, black; three outer tail feathers partly white.
Prairie wolf
.
(Zool.)
See
Coyote
.

Definition 2024


Prairie

Prairie

See also: prairie

English

Proper noun

Prairie

  1. Alternative form of Prairies

prairie

prairie

See also: Prairie

English

Noun

prairie (plural prairies)

  1. An extensive area of relatively flat grassland with few, if any, trees, especially in North America.
    • 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher, chapter1:
      It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also


French

Etymology

Old French praerie, from Latin pratum (meadow) + -aria, -arium

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pʁɛʁi/

Noun

prairie f (plural prairies)

  1. meadow, grassland, pasture, prairie

Anagrams