terrace

1 of 2

noun

ter·​race ˈter-əs 

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

Synonyms

Noun

• balcony
• deck
• sundeck

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

Hyatt Regency: Head to the 6th floor rooftop terrace to visit Santa's Village and get a photo with him 11am-2pm each Saturday of the month. —Erin Alberty, Axios, 6 Dec. 2024

Photo : Evan Joseph for The Corcoran Group The primary bedroom opens onto a private terrace. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Dec. 2024

Verb

With terracing on three sides, the home of a club crowned English champions three years in a row during the 1920s had to go. —Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 12 Aug. 2024

After a sale in which fans were able to snap up a square yard of the pitch for £5 and even slabs of terracing concrete for around £3, the Fellows Park site was sold to supermarket chain Morrisons for £5.75million. —Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 12 Aug. 2024

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

Kids Definition

terrace

1 of 2 noun

ter·​race ˈter-əs 

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