Savannah
Americannoun
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a seaport in E Georgia, near the mouth of the Savannah River.
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a river flowing SE from E Georgia along most of the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina and into the Atlantic. 314 miles (505 km) long.
noun
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a port in the US, in E Georgia, near the mouth of the Savannah River: port of departure of the Savannah for Liverpool (1819), the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. Pop: 127 573 (2003 est)
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a river in the southeastern US, formed by the confluence of the Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers in NW South Carolina: flows southeast to the Atlantic. Length: 505 km (314 miles)
Explanation
An ecosystem made up of a mix of grassland and wooded areas is called a savannah. The African savannah is home to elephants, zebras, lions, and many other animals. A savannah is different from a forest because the widely spaced trees allow plenty of sunlight to filter through, resulting in dense grasses. Most savannahs are located in tropical areas, but even North America has its share — and before the 19th century, areas of land kept clear by controlled fires were also described as savannahs. Although the word means "treeless plain" in Spanish, a true savannah does have trees as well as grasses.
Vocabulary lists containing savannah
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
International Paper has listed the roughly 735-acre Savannah River site and its Riceboro property for sale.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
A road trip to Savannah, Ga., in 2008 immediately came to mind for Freeman, who is white.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
In a TV interview, Savannah, 54, revealed her fear and sorrow about what she might have risked by showcasing her mother to the wider world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Guthrie, the mother of US news presenter Savannah Guthrie, was 84 when she went missing from her Arizona home in January.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
Miss Popularity Savannah Bobbins is at her desk surrounded by most of the homeroom.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
