: 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
Millions of buffalo once roamed the prairies. The train tracks extend over miles of prairie.
Recent Examples on the WebDozens of monarch butterflies descended on the prairie at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Tuesday, feasting on the nectar of purple ironweed flowers and golden compass plant blossoms. Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2022 By the final credits, Christina and Dolores have become one, transforming back into her classic blue prairie dress and entering the Sublime (a.k.a. robo Heaven) with a new mission. Nick Romano, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2022 Speaking of, a lot of your costumes have Batsheva prairie-dress vibes that are popular right now. Julie Vadnal, Vogue, 10 June 2022 For the first of the Queen's Garden parties, Princess Beatrice picked a ruffled and floral Vampire's Wife prairie dress, adding a coordinated hatband to finish the look. Kara Thompson, Town & Country, 27 Apr. 2022 The vastness of the landscape always startles me — an endless prairie broken by clusters of clay hills seamed with color. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 22 Aug. 2022 The tax incentives offered under the Inflation Reduction Act and a $2.5 billion infusion from Congress last year are spurring hopes of more carbon storage projects in the rolling prairie lands of northeastern Wyoming. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2022 Seven baby prairie dogs born at the Franklin Park Zoo in March recently emerged from their burrows and walked above ground for the first time. Stephanie Wenger, PEOPLE.com, 13 May 2022 Floral dresses aren't all pastels and prairie references. Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 May 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
French, from Old French praierie, from Vulgar Latin *prataria, from Latin pratum meadow