Nearby Words

terrain

[tuh-reyn] Origin

ter·rain

[tuh-reyn]
noun
1.
a tract of land, especially as considered with reference to its natural features, military advantages, etc.
2.
Geology. terrane.

Origin:
1720–30; < French Vulgar Latin *terrānum, noun use of neuter of *terrānus of land. See terra, -an
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Terrain is always a great word to know.
So is permeability. Does it mean:
ratio of the volume of the pores of a substance to the total volume of the mass
capability of a porous rock or sediment to permit the flow of fluids through its pore spaces
Collins
World English Dictionary
terrain (təˈreɪn, ˈtɛreɪn)
 
n
1.  ground or a piece of ground, esp with reference to its physical character or military potential: radio reception can be difficult in mountainous terrain; a rocky terrain
2.  a variant spelling of terrane
 
[C18: from French, ultimately from Latin terrēnum ground, from terra earth]

terrane or terrain (ˈtɛreɪn)
 
n
1.  a series of rock formations, esp one having a prevalent type of rock
2.  an allochthonous, fault-bounded section of the earth's crust
 
[C19: see terrain]
 
terrain or terrain
 
n
 
[C19: see terrain]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
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.
EXPAND
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.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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