I. təˈrān also (ˈ)te|r- noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, land, ground, modification of Latin terrenum — more at terrene
1. archaic : a geographical location : spot
2.
a.
(1) : a geographical area : region , territory
explosions … spread a large amount of ash over the surrounding terrain — Report: Smithsonian Institution
(2) : a piece of earth : ground
bump along the terrain right up to the clubhouse — W.B.Furlong
b. : the physical features of a tract of land : contour , topography
analysis of terrain in aerial photos in different seasons — Ragnar Thoren
c. : a physical environment of various kinds
a terrain of water that covered almost four million square miles — Wirt Williams
d. : an area devoted to a specified activity
the entire Union became a racing and breeding terrain — John Hervey
3. : terrane 1
4.
a. : a defined range of subject matter : field of knowledge
travel lightly but skillfully over the whole terrain of economics — S.E.Harris
b. : a sphere of action : arena
transferred the terrain of theological controversy from the learned tractate to the popular pamphlet — Helen Sullivan
II. adjective
Etymology: alteration (influenced by terrain ) (I) of terrene (I)
: terrestrial , topographic