prairie

noun

prai·​rie ˈprer-ē How to pronounce prairie (audio)
often attributive
1
: land in or predominantly in grass
2
: a tract of grassland: such as
a
: a large area of level or rolling land in the Mississippi River valley that in its natural uncultivated state usually has deep fertile soil, a cover of tall coarse grasses, and few trees
b
: one of the dry treeless plateaus east of the Rocky Mountains that merge on their east side with the prairies proper and are characterized by shorter grasses and drier less fertile soil

Examples of prairie in a Sentence

Millions of buffalo once roamed the prairies. The train tracks extend over miles of prairie.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In early spring of 2025, the prairies were once again dry, but timely rainfall in mid May recharged wetlands in portions of North Dakota, southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba. Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2025 Known for her bold, romantic silhouettes rooted in Victorian, prairie, and American folk references, Batsheva brought her signature whimsical femininity to life with unapologetic charm. Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 On the Cougars’ second possession, Weigman broke one tackle and found nothing but Texas prairie in front of him for a 49-yard gain. Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2025 Adding a 2,800-square-foot prairie meadow along the eastern border of the dog park to provide natural habitat for birds and pollinators, and offer noise buffering. Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 11 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prairie

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French praierie, from Vulgar Latin *prataria, from Latin pratum meadow

First Known Use

circa 1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prairie was circa 1682

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prairie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

prairie

noun
prai·​rie ˈpre(ə)r-ē How to pronounce prairie (audio)
: a large area of level or rolling grassland

More from Merriam-Webster on prairie

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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