/bad"landz'/ , n. ( used with a pl. v. )
a barren area in which soft rock strata are eroded into varied, fantastic forms.
[ 1850-55, Amer.; BAD 1 + LAND + -S 3 ; trans. of F mauvaises terres, perh. based on expressions in AmerInd languages, alluding to the difficulty in traversing such country ]