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Definition of terrain noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

terrain

noun
 
 
/təˈreɪn/
 
/təˈreɪn/
[countable, uncountable]
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  1. used to refer to an area of land when you are mentioning its natural features, for example, if it is rough, flat, etc.
    • difficult/rough/mountainous terrain
    • They walked for miles across steep and inhospitable terrain.
    Synonyms countrycountrylandscape ▪ countryside ▪ terrain ▪ land ▪ sceneryThese are all words for areas away from towns and cities, with fields, woods and farms.country (often the country) an area that is away from towns and cities, especially one with particular natural features:
    • She lives in the country.
    • an area of wooded country
    landscape everything that you can see when you look across a large area of land, especially in the country:
    • This pattern of woods and fields is typical of the English landscape.
    countryside land outside towns and cities, with fields, woods and farms. Countryside is usually used when you are talking about the beauty or peacefulness of a country area: a little village in the French countryside. terrain (formal) land. Terrain is used when you are describing the natural features of an area, for example if it is rough, flat, etc: The truck bumped its way over the rough terrain. land (usually the land) the countryside; the way people live in the country as opposed to in towns and cities:
    • Many younger people are leaving the land to find work in the cities.
    scenery the natural features of an area, such as mountains, valleys, rivers and forests, especially when these are attractive to look at:
    • We stopped on the mountain pass to admire the scenery.
    Patterns
    • mountainous/​mountain/​wild/​rugged country/​landscape/​countryside/​terrain/​scenery
    • beautiful/​glorious/​dramatic country/​landscape/​countryside/​scenery
    • open country/​landscape/​countryside/​terrain/​land
    • rolling country/​landscape/​countryside
    • to protect the landscape/​countryside/​land
    see also all-terrain
    Wordfinder
    Extra Examples
    • Tank warfare dominated campaigns in open terrain.
    • Make sure you have equipment that is suitable for the terrain.
    • The truck bumped its way over the rough terrain.
    • local fighters who know the terrain
    Topics Geographyc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • flat
    • steep
    • hilly
    • …
    verb + terrain
    • cross
    • navigate
    • negotiate
    • …
    preposition
    • across… terrain
    • over… terrain
    See full entry
    Word Originearly 18th cent. (denoting part of the training ground in a riding school): from French, from a popular Latin variant of Latin terrenum, neuter of terrenus from terra ‘earth’.
See terrain in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee terrain in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: terrain

Nearby words

sufficiently
adverb
 
 
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