savanna
or sa·van·nah
[ suh-van-uh ]
/ səˈvæn ə /
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
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. 2021
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.