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
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade Soil Type: Dry to Medium, Well-draining, Average Fertility
Soil pH: Mildly Acidic to Neutral (6.0-7.2)
Baptisia are tough prairie plants with a graceful appearance and showy blooms.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Mar. 2025
Here, winter routinely drops below –30°C, and snow buries the prairie for nearly half the year.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
The acquisition expands the Lakewood Forest Preserve, the largest in the county with more than 2,900 acres of trails, woodlands, prairies, wetlands and lakes according to a county press release.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
In revealing how the prairie was consumed by colonization and agricultural practices time has proven detrimental, Smarsh’s piece is equal parts fascinating history and ecology lesson.
—Longreads, 19 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Prairie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Kids Definition
prairie
noun
prai·rie
ˈpre(ə)r-ē 
: a large area of level or rolling grassland
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