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.
      1913 webster

            from the forests and the prairies,
            from the great lakes of the northland. --longfellow.
      1913 webster

   2. a meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called
      natural meadow.
      1913 webster

   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.
      1913 webster
see also:
prairie chicken tympanuchus tympanuchus americanus tympanuchus cupido prairie clover petalostemon 
prairie dock silphium terebinthaceum prairie dog cynomys ludovicianus prairie marmot 
prairie grouse prairie hare lepus campestris jack rabbit jack 
prairie hawk prairie falcon falco mexicanus prairie hen prairie itch 
swamp itch winter itch prairie marmot prairie mole scalops argentatus 
prairie pigeon prairie plover prairie snipe plover prairie rattlesnake 
prairie snake masticophis flavigularis prairie squirrel spermophilus gopher 
prairie turnip psoralea esculenta pomme blanche pomme de prairie prairie warbler 
dendroica discolor prairie wolf coyote