terrace

American  

[ter-uhs] / ˈtɛr əs /

noun

1. a raised level with a vertical or sloping front or sides faced with masonry, turf, or the like, especially one of a series of levels rising one above another.

2. the top of such a construction, used as a platform, garden, road, etc.

3. a nearly level strip of land with a more or less abrupt descent along the margin of the sea, a lake, or a river.

4. the flat roof of a house.

5. an open, often paved area connected to a house or an apartment house and serving as an outdoor living area; deck.

6. an open platform, as projecting from the outside wall of an apartment; a large balcony.

7. a row of houses on or near the top of a slope.

8. a residential street following the top of a slope.

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verb (used with or without object)

terraced, terracing

1. to form into or furnish with a terrace or terraces.

terrace British  

/ ˈtɛrəs /

noun

1. a horizontal flat area of ground, often one of a series in a slope

2. 1. a row of houses, usually identical and having common dividing walls, or the street onto which they face

   2. ( cap when part of a street name )

      Grosvenor Terrace

3. a paved area alongside a building, serving partly as a garden

4. a balcony or patio

5. the flat roof of a house built in a Spanish or Oriental style

6. a flat area bounded by a short steep slope formed by the down-cutting of a river or by erosion

7. (usually plural)

   1. unroofed tiers around a football pitch on which the spectators stand

   2. the spectators themselves

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verb

1. (tr) to make into or provide with a terrace or terraces

Other Word Forms

• terraceless adjective
• unterraced adjective

Etymology

Origin of terrace

1505–15; earlier terrasse < Middle French < Old Provençal terrassa < Vulgar Latin *terrācea, feminine of *terrāceus. See terra, -aceous

Example Sentences

My vision blurry, I find my way outside to the terrace and sit at the table Mr. Harris and I used to sit at, back when he was feeling well enough to go outside.

From Literature

“I always had a vision of walking down the porch steps, turning straight into the garden, and being able to walk to the wine terrace,” Smee says.

From Los Angeles Times

“A defining highlight of the first floor is the breathtaking loggia, opening to a 100-foot west-facing terrace that frames unobstructed river views,” the listing notes.

From MarketWatch

Much like the living room, the couple’s bedroom features its own sliding glass doors that open up to a private terrace overlooking the backyard and swimming pool area.

From MarketWatch

The property, which was built in 1989 and spans 10,200 square feet, comes complete with an array of luxury amenities, including a game room, a full gym, sports court, and an outdoor entertaining terrace.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• balcony
• deck
• gallery
• patio
• platform
• porch
• promenade
• roof