savanna

or sa·van·nah

[ suh-van-uh ]
/ səˈvæn ə /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR savanna ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a plain characterized by coarse grasses and scattered tree growth, especially on the margins of the tropics where the rainfall is seasonal, as in eastern Africa.
grassland region with scattered trees, grading into either open plain or woodland, usually in subtropical or tropical regions.

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a cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides.
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Origin of savanna

First recorded in 1545–55; earlier zavana, from Spanish (now sabana ), from Taíno zabana

Words nearby savanna

Savage Island, savagery, Savage's Station, savagism, Savaii, savanna, Savannah, Savannah sparrow, Savannakhet, savanna monkey, savant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to savanna

grassland, plain, savannah

Example sentences from the Web for savanna

British Dictionary definitions for savanna

savanna

savannah

/ (səˈvænə) /

noun

open grasslands, usually with scattered bushes or trees, characteristic of much of tropical Africa

Word Origin for savanna

C16: from Spanish zavana, from Taino zabana
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

Scientific definitions for savanna

savanna
savannah (sə-văn′ə)

A flat, grass-covered area of tropical or subtropical regions, nearly treeless in some places but generally having a mix of widely spaced trees and bushes. Savannas have distinct wet and dry seasons, with the mix of vegetation dependent primarily on the relative length of the two seasons.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for savanna

savanna

A tropical land mass of grassland and scattered trees.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.