terrain

noun

UStuh-RAYN/təˈɹeɪn/

Pluralterrains (some meanings)

3 meanings of terrain

1
noununcountable
An area of land, or the natural shape and features of it.
Like the ups and downs of the ground when you walk across an open field.
The hikers crossed rough terrain to reach the mountain lake.
Soldiers train to move and fight on many kinds of terrain.
Similarground, landscape, country, land, topography
Note
2
noununcountable
The solid surface of the earth, meaning the ground itself.
The plane flew low over the terrain as it lined up with the runway.
A warning sounds when the terrain ahead rises faster than the aircraft can climb.
Similarground, land, surface
Note
3
nouncountable or uncountable
A kind of rock formation, or an area where one main type of rock is found.
Geologists mapped the volcanic terrain along the rugged coast.
The whole region is granite terrain, with hard gray rock almost everywhere.
Similarformation
Note

Practice

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Origin

This word comes from French terrain, which came from Latin words meaning land or ground, based on terra, meaning earth.