Prairie word meaning and definition

[noun] a treeless grassy plain

\Prai"rie\, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie, LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.] 1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies and the Rocky mountains. From the forests and the prairies, From the great lakes of the northland. --Longfellow. 2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called natural meadow. {Prairie chicken} (Zo["o]l.), any American grouse of the genus {Tympanuchus}, especially {T. Americanus} (formerly {T. cupido}), which inhabits the prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the sharp-tailed grouse. {Prairie clover} (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus {Petalostemon}, having small rosy or white flowers in dense terminal heads or spikes. Several species occur in the prairies of the United States. {Prairie dock} (Bot.), a coarse composite plant ({Silphium terebinthaceum}) with large rough leaves and yellow flowers, found in the Western prairies. {Prairie dog} (Zo["o]l.), a small American rodent ({Cynomys Ludovicianus}) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in the ground in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like that of a dog. Called also {prairie marmot}. {Prairie grouse}. Same as {Prairie chicken}, above. {Prairie hare} (Zo["o]l.), a large long-eared Western hare ({Lepus campestris}). See {Jack rabbit}, under 2d {Jack}. {Prairie hawk}, {Prairie falcon} (Zo["o]l.), a falcon of Western North America ({Falco Mexicanus}). The upper parts are brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under parts, longitudinal streaks and spots of brown. {Prairie hen}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Prairie chicken}, above. {Prairie itch} (Med.), an affection of the skin attended with intense itching, which is observed in the Northern and Western United States; -- also called {swamp itch}, {winter itch}. {Prairie marmot}. (Zo["o]l.) Same as {Prairie dog}, above. {Prairie mole} (Zo["o]l.), a large American mole ({Scalops argentatus}), native of the Western prairies. {Prairie pigeon}, {plover}, or {snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the upland plover. See {Plover}, n., 2. {Prairie rattlesnake} (Zo["o]l.), the massasauga. {Prairie snake} (Zo["o]l.), a large harmless American snake ({Masticophis flavigularis}). It is pale yellow, tinged with brown above. {Prairie squirrel} (Zo["o]l.), any American ground squirrel of the genus {Spermophilus}, inhabiting prairies; -- called also {gopher}. {Prairie turnip} (Bot.), the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous root of a leguminous plant ({Psoralea esculenta}) of the Upper Missouri region; also, the plant itself. Called also {pomme blanche}, and {pomme de prairie}. {Prairie warbler} (Zo["o]l.), a bright-colored American warbler ({Dendroica discolor}). The back is olive yellow, with a group of reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and the parts around the eyes are bright yellow; the sides of the throat and spots along the sides, black; three outer tail feathers partly white. {Prairie wolf}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Coyote}.

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