savanna

American  

[suh-van-uh] / səˈvæn ə /

Or savannah

noun

1. 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.

2. grassland region with scattered trees, grading into either open plain or woodland, usually in subtropical or tropical regions.

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savanna British  

/ səˈvænə /

noun

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

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savanna Scientific  

/ sə-văn′ə /

1. 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.

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savanna Cultural  

1. A tropical land mass of grassland and scattered trees.

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Etymology

Origin of savanna

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

Example Sentences

The centerpiece of the 13-acre-plus parkland is a curved bridge overlooking a savanna, allowing elephants to walk under guests.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

The research used forest inventory data from 2,700 plots across the country, ranging from cool moist forests to dry savanna.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

In Brazil, huge swaths of the Amazon rainforest and Cerrado savanna have been lost to pastures and fields that produce beef and soybeans.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 26, 2024

Visitors will go "on a journey through the African savanna" alongside iconic characters from Mufasa and Simba to Timon and Pumbaa, theme parks chief Josh D’Amaro said on Saturday.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2024

The road descends into the Rift, cutting across wrinkled knees of bluffs, until it hits bottom and unravels on a savanna dotted with acacia trees.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

Related Words

• grassland