prairie

Borrowed from French prairie.

• (Mary–marry–merry distinction) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɛəɹi/
• (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): [ˈpɹɛɹi]

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• Rhymes: -ɛəɹi

prairie (plural prairies)

1. An extensive area of relatively flat grassland with few, if any, trees, especially in North America.
   • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], OCLC 752825175, page 048:

     It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.

• Prairial
• prairillon

• prairie on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• pampa
• savanna
• steppe

Old French praerie, from Latin pratum (“meadow”) + -aria, -arium. See also pré and -erie.

• IPA^(key): /pʁɛ.ʁi/

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prairie f (plural prairies)

1. meadow, grassland, pasture, prairie

• “prairie” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

• périrai, prierai, riperai