terrain
Americannoun
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a tract of land, especially as considered with reference to its natural features, military advantages, etc.
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Geology. terrane.
noun
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ground or a piece of ground, esp with reference to its physical character or military potential
radio reception can be difficult in mountainous terrain
a rocky terrain
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a variant spelling of terrane
Etymology
Origin of terrain
1720–30; < French ≪ Vulgar Latin *terrānum, noun use of neuter of *terrānus of land. See terra, -an
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On a recent Saturday, Cordero was dressed for the remote border terrain — flannel, hiking boots, a San Diego Padres cap pulled low against the sun.
From Los Angeles Times
The route involves navigating extremely challenging terrain, significant exposure, steep pinnacles and drops on both sides.
From BBC
When strong enough, the crew continued overland explorations and mapping of the Arctic terrain.
From Literature
Parks and Blea flipped on their afterburners and went through a series of tight turns to avoid being downed over the mountainous terrain.
The Mare basalts provided relatively smooth terrain, making them ideal landing sites for Apollo astronauts.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
