terrain
English edit
Etymology edit
Unadapted borrowing from French terrain, from Latin terrenum (“land, ground”), neuter of terrenus (“consisting of earth”), from terra (“earth”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
terrain (countable and uncountable, plural terrains)
- (geology) A single, distinctive rock formation; an area having a preponderance of a particular rock or group of rocks.
- An area of land or the particular features of it.
- The race will be run over a variety of terrain, including grass and sand.
- (chiefly aviation) The surface of the earth; the ground.
- This approach requires the aircraft to stay at an altitude of at least 3000 feet MSL until crossing the VOR in order to maintain terrain clearance.
- TOO LOW, TERRAIN
Synonyms edit
- (area of land): ground
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
area
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Further reading edit
- “terrain”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Anagrams edit
French edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Old French terrain, terrein, from Vulgar Latin *terranum, from Latin terrēnum.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
terrain m (plural terrains)
- ground, landscape
- field (as in soccer field)
- Un nouveau terrain de football a été aménagé l’an dernier. ― A new soccer field was built last year.
- lot, plot, parcel
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
Further reading edit
- “terrain”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams edit
Romansch edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Vulgar Latin *terranum, from Latin terrenum.
Noun edit
terrain m (plural terrains)