terrace

1 of 2

noun

ter·​race ˈter-əs How to pronounce terrace (audio)
ˈte-rəs
1
a
: a relatively level paved or planted area adjoining a building
b
: a colonnaded porch or promenade
c
: a flat roof or open platform
2
a
: one of usually a series of horizontal ridges made in a hillside to increase cultivatable land, conserve moisture, or minimize erosion
b
: a raised embankment with the top leveled
3
: a level ordinarily narrow plain usually with steep front bordering a river, lake, or sea
also : a similar undersea feature
4
a
: a row of houses or apartments on raised ground or a sloping site
b
: a group of row houses
c
: a strip of park in the middle of a street often planted with trees or shrubs
d
: street
5
: a section of a British soccer stadium set aside for standing spectators

terrace

2 of 2

verb

terraced; terracing

transitive verb

1
: to provide (something, such as a building or hillside) with a terrace
2
: to make into a terrace

Examples of terrace in a Sentence

Noun rice growing in hillside terraces For sale: large three-bedroom house with adjoining terrace and garden.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Other highlights include a living room sporting a linear fireplace, plus walls of glass spilling out to a spacious terrace ideal for al fresco lounging and entertaining. Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024 On a recent morning, a woman watched a group of toddlers crawling and tottering across the shelter’s rooftop terrace as laundry fluttered in the wind behind them. Andrei Popoviciu, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar. 2024 Suites start at more than 900 square feet, and each has a private terrace and Jacuzzi. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024 The backpacker hostel in their gentrifying neighborhood was made up of three connected terrace houses, leprous with pink paint and festooned with Tibetan prayer flags. Fiona McFarlane, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Each accommodation has its own entrance and either a private terrace or garden, all modern and unique in design. Jim Dobson, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 Elsewhere, there’s a home office and an up-to-date eat-in kitchen that spills out to a sunny terrace for alfresco dining. Mark David, Robb Report, 2 Mar. 2024 Additional noteworthy features include the extensive media room equipped with french doors leading out to a serene terrace. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 The primary suite feels like its own private apartment, with a completely private terrace, seating area, and spa-like bathroom. Emma Reynolds, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
There’s 1,500 square feet of terracing around the 50-foot heated swimming pool and pool house, along with a sunken tennis court for getting a bit more active. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 15 Mar. 2024 The original stones—as big as watermelons—became the material for the new construction, a tiered wall terracing several meters of the slope. Hannah Kirshner, The Atlantic, 6 Dec. 2023 For a thousand years, locals have tamed the cliffs by terracing them with stone walls from top to bottom. Julia Buckley, Travel + Leisure, 18 Nov. 2023 All those stones Palacios lugged up the hill were used to terrace the garden and form a stairway up to two perches — a little stone bench and an oak tree with a low branch that forms a natural lounge chair. Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2023 Bring Style to a Slope Use cut stone or precast decorative wall blocks for a high-end landscaped look for sloped areas that need terracing. Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Mar. 2023 While Caesars is mum on the official overnight capacity limit, the hotel caps terrace occupants at 75 guests. Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2022 How about perking up that drab Zone 5 to 8 patio or terrace with a sundial and some compact flowering plants? Arricca Elin Sansone, Country Living, 5 Oct. 2022 That said, Peak is worth the effort, and apparently is so seven days a week for those who come for the view from The Edge terrace a floor below, or the snazzy bar that stocks more than 200 spirits. John Mariani, Forbes, 6 July 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terrace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle French, platform, terrace, from Old French, from Old Occitan terrassa, from terra earth, from Latin, earth, land; akin to Latin torrēre to parch — more at thirst

First Known Use

Noun

1515, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of terrace was in 1515

Dictionary Entries Near terrace

Cite this Entry

“Terrace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrace. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

terrace

1 of 2 noun
ter·​race ˈter-əs How to pronounce terrace (audio)
1
a
: a flat roof or open platform
b
: a level area next to a building
2
a
: a raised piece of land with the top leveled off
b
: one of a group of horizontal ridges made in a hillside to conserve moisture and prevent loss of soil for agriculture
3
: a row of houses on raised ground or a sloping site

terrace

2 of 2 verb
terraced; terracing
: to make into a terrace or supply with terraces

More from Merriam-Webster on terrace

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