terra

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Terraced p. pr. & vb. n. Terracing ] To form into a terrace or terraces; to furnish with a terrace or terraces, as, to terrace a garden, or a building. Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Clermont's terraced height, and Esher's groves. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. terrasse (cf. Sp. terraza, It. terrazza), fr. L. terra the earth, probably for tersa, originally meaning, dry land, and akin to torrere to parch, E. torrid, and thirst. See Thirst, and cf. Fumitory, Inter, v., Patterre, Terrier, Trass, Tureen, Turmeric. ] 1. A raised level space, shelf, or platform of earth, supported on one or more sides by a wall, a bank of tuft, or the like, whether designed for use or pleasure. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A balcony, especially a large and uncovered one. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A flat roof to a house; as, the buildings of the Oriental nations are covered with terraces. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A street, or a row of houses, on a bank or the side of a hill; hence, any street, or row of houses. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Geol.) A level plain, usually with a steep front, bordering a river, a lake, or sometimes the sea. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Many rivers are bordered by a series of terraces at different levels, indicating the flood plains at successive periods in their history. [ 1913 Webster ]

Terrace epoch. (Geol.) See Drift epoch, under Drift, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. terra the earth + cultura. ] Cultivation on the earth; agriculture. [ R. ] -- Ter`ra*cul"tur*al a. [R.] [1913 Webster]

‖ [ L. ] An unknown land; unexplored country.

The enormous tracts lying outside China proper, still almost terrae incognitae. A. R. Colquhoun. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ F. terrain, from L. terra earth. ] 1. (Geol.) A group of rocks having a common age or origin; -- nearly equivalent to formation, but used somewhat less comprehensively. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Geog.) 2. A region or limited area considered with reference to some special feature; as, the terrane of a river, that is, its drainage basin. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Probably of American Indian origin. ] (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of tortoises living in fresh and brackish waters. Many of them are valued for food. [ Written also terapin, terrapen, terrapene, turpen, and turapen. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The yellow-bellied terrapin (Pseudemys scabra) of the Southern United States, the red-bellied terrapin (Pseudemys rugosa or Chrysemys rubriventris), native of the tributaries Chesapeake Bay (called also potter, slider, and redfender), and the diamond-back or salt-marsh terrapin (Malaclemmys palustris), are the most important American species. The diamond-back terrapin is native of nearly the whole of the Atlantic coast of the United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

Alligator terrapin, the snapping turtle. --
Mud terrapin, any one of numerous species of American tortoises of the genus Cinosternon. --
Painted terrapin, the painted turtle. See under Painted. --
Speckled terrapin, a small fresh-water American terrapin (Chelopus guttatus) having the carapace black with round yellow spots; -- called also spotted turtle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. terra the earth + E. aqueous. ] Consisting of land and water; as, the earth is a terraqueous globe. Cudworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

The grand terraqueous spectacle
From center to circumference unveiled. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]