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terrain

 - 5 dictionary results
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ter⋅rain

  [tuh-reyn]
Use terrain in a Sentence
–noun
1. a tract of land, esp. as considered with reference to its natural features, military advantages, etc.
2. Geology. terrane.
Origin:
1720–30; < F ≪ VL *terrānum, n. use of neut. of *terrānus of land. See terra, -an
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ter⋅rane

  [tuh-reyn, ter-eyn]
–noun Geology.
any rock formation or series of formations or the area in which a particular formation or group of rocks is predominant.
Also, terrain.

Origin:
1815–25; sp. var. of terrain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To terrain
ter·rain   (tə-rān')   
n.  

    1. An area of land; ground: climbed a tree to view the surrounding terrain.

    2. A particular geographic area; a region: a guide who knows this terrain well.

  2. The surface features of an area of land; topography: boots designed for rugged terrain.

  3. also (těr'ān) Variant of terrane.


[French, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *terrānum, alteration of Latin terrēnum, from neuter of terrēnus, of the earth; see terrene.]
ter·rane also ter·rain   (tə-rān', těr'ān)   
n.  

  1. A series of related rock formations.

  2. An area having a preponderance of a particular rock or rock groups.


[Alteration of terrain.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

terrain 
1727, "ground for training horses," from Fr. terrain "piece of earth, ground, land," from O.Fr. (12c.), from V.L. *terranum, from L. terrenum "land, ground," from neut. of terrenus "of earth, earthly," from terra "earth, land," lit. "dry land" (as opposed to "sea"); from PIE base *ters- "to dry" (cf. Skt. tarsayati "dries up," Avestan tarshu- "dry, solid," Gk. teresesthai "to become or be dry," L. torrere "dry up, parch," Goth. þaursus "dry, barren," O.H.G. thurri, Ger. dürr, O.E. þyrre "dry;" O.E. þurstig "thirsty"). Meaning "tract of country, considered with regard to its natural features" first attested 1766.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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