grassland

[gras-land, grahs-]

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noun

an area, as a prairie, in which the natural vegetation consists largely of perennial grasses, characteristic of subhumid and semiarid climates.

land with grass growing on it, especially farmland used for grazing or pasture.

Origin of grassland

An Americanism dating back to 1675–85; grass + land

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for grassland

pasture, prairie, plain, steppe, savanna, field, range, llano, pampas, sward, veldt, campo, swarth

British Dictionary definitions for grassland

grassland

noun

land, such as a prairie, on which grass predominates

land reserved for natural grass pasture

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for grassland

1680s, from grass + land (n.).

grassland in Science

grassland

[grăs′lănd′]

An area that is dominated by grass or grasslike vegetation. Moderately dry climatic conditions and seasonal disturbances, such as floods or fires, are generally conducive to the growth of grasses and prohibitive of that of trees and shrubs. Grasslands are found in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions and typically occupy regions between forests and deserts.