terrace
Americannoun
-
terraces
plural
-
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.
-
the top of such a construction, used as a platform, garden, road, etc.
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a nearly level strip of land with a more or less abrupt descent along the margin of the sea, a lake, or a river.
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the flat roof of a house.
-
an open, often paved area connected to a house or an apartment house and serving as an outdoor living area; deck.
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an open platform, as projecting from the outside wall of an apartment; a large balcony.
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a row of houses on or near the top of a slope.
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a residential street following the top of a slope.
verb (used with or without object)
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terraces,
present (3rd person singular)
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terraced,
past participle, past
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terracing
present participle
noun
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a horizontal flat area of ground, often one of a series in a slope
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-
a row of houses, usually identical and having common dividing walls, or the street onto which they face
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( cap when part of a street name )
Grosvenor Terrace
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-
a paved area alongside a building, serving partly as a garden
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a balcony or patio
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the flat roof of a house built in a Spanish or Oriental style
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a flat area bounded by a short steep slope formed by the down-cutting of a river or by erosion
-
(usually plural)
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unroofed tiers around a football pitch on which the spectators stand
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the spectators themselves
-
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
terracesimple
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terracessimple
-
have terracedperfect
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has terracedperfect
-
am terracingprogressive
-
are terracingprogressive
-
is terracingprogressive
-
have been terracingperfect progressive
-
has been terracingperfect progressive
Past
-
terracedsimple
-
had terracedperfect
-
was terracingprogressive
-
were terracingprogressive
-
had been terracingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of terrace
1505–15; earlier terrasse < Middle French < Old Provençal terrassa < Vulgar Latin *terrācea, feminine of *terrāceus. See terra, -aceous
Explanation
A terrace is a paved or brick outdoor area right next to a house or apartment. You might have a nice dinner out on your terrace, enjoying the sunset. Terrace and patio are synonyms. Another meaning for terrace is "a block of row houses that are connected by shared walls and are built in a similar style." Terrace also refers to flat areas on a hillside where people farm or have built houses. That land has been terraced, meaning "made into shelves."
Vocabulary lists containing terrace
Learning Down The House: Parts of Your Home
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Elements of the Universe: Terr, Terra ("Earth")
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South America - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
Perched on a pavement terrace with a colleague, a 38-year-old art teacher who gave her name as Alma said she had "never seen anything like it".
From Barron's ● Oct. 18, 2026
Philbin oversaw a two-decade,$90-million renovation by Michael Maltzan Architecture that increased gallery space by 60% and added an outdoor sculpture terrace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
If you want something more casual, the sidewalk terrace at Bar Pitti is fantastic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
“The chef’s kitchen with eat-in dining nook and wood-burning fireplace connects to a cozy family room and IPE-clad terrace overlooking a tranquil reflection pond,” the listing notes.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
He left the terrace without a word, and I followed him to the lift.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
The 61st floor, whose exterior features a tribute to the radiator caps of early Chrysler vehicles, is to be converted into a dining space with access to outdoor terraces.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
“The house includes an elevator, four terraces, and a large 58’ deep landscaped back garden.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
Its essence was its array of cantilevered terraces, set at right angles to one another and projecting deep out into space.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
For generations, summer in Europe has been languid and dreamy, bringing fine weather and lengthy days on sunny beaches and terraces.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
“I have seen papers that had been apparently swept off the terraces upon the shrubbery between them and the lagoons,” Olmsted wrote.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
The house itself serves as a time capsule of Old Hollywood glitz and glamour, with sprawling gardens and terraced lawns perched on 8.4 acres overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026
Sarah was excitedly packing up to move out of the terraced house her family had outgrown to a four-bedroom home in the countryside.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
As we climbed the terraced pools of the West Kill, I concentrated on keeping my cast short and precise until I caught my first brook trout, or “brookie.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
“The gated, private parcel offers dramatic panoramic city views and sweeping vistas, with multiple usable tiers featuring generous flat pads, terraced gardens, and a dedicated pool level,” the description notes.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026
And the architecture...gods, the architecture—gilded marble columns, dazzling mosaics, monumental arches, and terraced villas.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Much of the railroad-tie terracing had been damaged as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2024
If you look through the history books, it is 30 years since Norwich won at Anfield - in the last game played in front of the Kop when it was still terracing.
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2024
In addition to constructing dams and irrigation systems, the people of this region collected water from flash floods and used terracing in hilly regions.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023
The upper-tier will become outdoor terracing for new homes.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 5, 2022
Given Cahokia’s engineering expertise, though, solutions were within reach: terracing hillsides, diking rivers, even moving Cahokia.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
