playa

American  

[plahy-uh] / ˈplaɪ ə /

noun

1. Western U.S. the sandy, salty, or mud-caked flat floor of a desert basin having interior drainage, usually occupied by a shallow lake during or after prolonged, heavy rains.

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playa British  

/ ˈplɑːjə, ˈplaja /

noun

1. (in the US) a temporary lake, or its dry often salty bed, in a desert basin

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playa Scientific  

/ plī′ə /

1. A dry lake bed at the bottom of a desert basin, sometimes temporarily covered with water. Playas have no vegetation and are among the flattest geographical features in the world.

2. Also called sink

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Etymology

Origin of playa

1850–55, < Spanish: shore < Late Latin plagia; see plage

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

playa

They use playa names, such as cactus or fuzzypants, making possible suspects hard to identify.

From Salon ● Oct. 27, 2025

The Mayan Warrior was back on the playa by 2024, looking flashier than ever — and it ought to, considering it cost nearly $3 million.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025

Exodus became a dangerous trail of taillights flickering through the dust like fading fireflies, and camps across the playa feared they’d be stuck breaking down until the end of the week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2024

The playa lost about a third of its salt volume over the past six decades.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 21, 2024

I'm contemplatin, preparing to shut down all your playa hatin, Dad says.

From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander