from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Prairie \Prai"rie\, n. [F., an extensive meadow, OF. praerie,
LL. prataria, fr. L. pratum a meadow.]
1. An extensive tract of level or rolling land, destitute of
trees, covered with coarse grass, and usually
characterized by a deep, fertile soil. They abound
throughout the Mississippi valley, between the Alleghanies
and the Rocky mountains.
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From the forests and the prairies,
From the great lakes of the northland. --Longfellow.
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2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called
natural meadow.
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{Prairie chicken} (Zool.), any American grouse of the genus
{Tympanuchus}, especially {Tympanuchus Americanus}
(formerly {Tympanuchus cupido}), which inhabits the
prairies of the central United States. Applied also to the
sharp-tailed grouse.
{Prairie clover} (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus
{Petalostemon}, having small rosy or white flowers in
dense terminal heads or spikes. Several species occur in
the prairies of the United States.
{Prairie dock} (Bot.), a coarse composite plant ({Silphium
terebinthaceum}) with large rough leaves and yellow
flowers, found in the Western prairies.
{Prairie dog} (Zool.), a small American rodent ({Cynomys
Ludovicianus}) allied to the marmots. It inhabits the
plains west of the Mississippi. The prairie dogs burrow in
the ground in large warrens, and have a sharp bark like
that of a dog. Called also {prairie marmot}.
{Prairie grouse}. Same as {Prairie chicken}, above.
{Prairie hare} (Zool.), a large long-eared Western hare
({Lepus campestris}). See {Jack rabbit}, under 2d {Jack}.
{Prairie hawk}, {Prairie falcon} (Zool.), a falcon of Western
North America ({Falco Mexicanus}). The upper parts are
brown. The tail has transverse bands of white; the under
parts, longitudinal streaks and spots of brown.
{Prairie hen}. (Zool.) Same as {Prairie chicken}, above.
{Prairie itch} (Med.), an affection of the skin attended with
intense itching, which is observed in the Northern and
Western United States; -- also called {swamp itch},
{winter itch}.
{Prairie marmot}. (Zool.) Same as {Prairie dog}, above.
{Prairie mole} (Zool.), a large American mole ({Scalops
argentatus}), native of the Western prairies.
{Prairie pigeon}, {Prairie plover}, or {Prairie snipe}
(Zool.), the upland plover. See {Plover}, n., 2.
{Prairie rattlesnake} (Zool.), the massasauga.
{Prairie snake} (Zool.), a large harmless American snake
({Masticophis flavigularis}). It is pale yellow, tinged
with brown above.
{Prairie squirrel} (Zool.), any American ground squirrel of
the genus {Spermophilus}, inhabiting prairies; -- called
also {gopher}.
{Prairie turnip} (Bot.), the edible turnip-shaped farinaceous
root of a leguminous plant ({Psoralea esculenta}) of the
Upper Missouri region; also, the plant itself. Called also
{pomme blanche}, and {pomme de prairie}.
{Prairie warbler} (Zool.), a bright-colored American warbler
({Dendroica discolor}). The back is olive yellow, with a
group of reddish spots in the middle; the under parts and
the parts around the eyes are bright yellow; the sides of
the throat and spots along the sides, black; three outer
tail feathers partly white.
{Prairie wolf}. (Zool.) See {Coyote}.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Swamp \Swamp\, n. [Cf. AS. swam a fungus, OD. swam a sponge, D.
zwam a fungus, G. schwamm a sponge, Icel. sv["o]ppr, Dan. &
Sw. swamp, Goth. swamms, Gr. somfo`s porous, spongy.]
Wet, spongy land; soft, low ground saturated with water, but
not usually covered with it; marshy ground away from the
seashore.
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Gray swamps and pools, waste places of the hern.
--Tennyson.
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A swamp differs from a bog and a marsh in producing
trees and shrubs, while the latter produce only
herbage, plants, and mosses. --Farming
Encyc. (E.
Edwards,
Words).
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{Swamp blackbird}. (Zool.) See {Redwing}
(b) .
{Swamp cabbage} (Bot.), skunk cabbage.
{Swamp deer} (Zool.), an Asiatic deer ({Rucervus Duvaucelli})
of India.
{Swamp hen}. (Zool.)
(a) An Australian azure-breasted bird ({Porphyrio bellus});
-- called also {goollema}.
(b) An Australian water crake, or rail ({Porzana Tabuensis});
-- called also {little swamp hen}.
(c) The European purple gallinule.
{Swamp honeysuckle} (Bot.), an American shrub ({Azalea
viscosa} syn. {Rhododendron viscosa} or {Rhododendron
viscosum}) growing in swampy places, with fragrant flowers
of a white color, or white tinged with rose; -- called
also {swamp pink} and {white swamp honeysuckle}.
{Swamp hook}, a hook and chain used by lumbermen in handling
logs. Cf. {Cant hook}.
{Swamp itch}. (Med.) See {Prairie itch}, under {Prairie}.
{Swamp laurel} (Bot.), a shrub ({Kalmia glauca}) having small
leaves with the lower surface glaucous.
{Swamp maple} (Bot.), red maple. See {Maple}.
{Swamp oak} (Bot.), a name given to several kinds of oak
which grow in swampy places, as swamp Spanish oak
({Quercus palustris}), swamp white oak ({Quercus
bicolor}), swamp post oak ({Quercus lyrata}).
{Swamp ore} (Min.), bog ore; limonite.
{Swamp partridge} (Zool.), any one of several Australian game
birds of the genera {Synoicus} and {Excalfatoria}, allied
to the European partridges.
{Swamp robin} (Zool.), the chewink.
{Swamp sassafras} (Bot.), a small North American tree of the
genus {Magnolia} ({Magnolia glauca}) with aromatic leaves
and fragrant creamy-white blossoms; -- called also {sweet
bay}.
{Swamp sparrow} (Zool.), a common North American sparrow
({Melospiza Georgiana}, or {Melospiza palustris}), closely
resembling the song sparrow. It lives in low, swampy
places.
{Swamp willow}. (Bot.) See {Pussy willow}, under {Pussy}.
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