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 

winter \win"ter\, n. as. winter; akin to ofries.  d. winter,
   os.  ohg. wintar, g. winter, d.  sw. vinter, icel. vetr,
   goth. wintrus; of uncertain origin; cf. old gallic vindo-
   white in comp., oir. find white. ????.
   1913 webster
   1. the season of the year in which the sun shines most
      obliquely upon any region; the coldest season of the year.
      "of thirty winter he was old." --chaucer.
      1913 webster

            and after summer evermore succeeds
            barren winter, with his wrathful nipping cold.
                                                  --shak.
      1913 webster

            winter lingering chills the lap of may. --goldsmith.
      1913 webster

   note: north of the equator, winter is popularly taken to
         include the months of december, january, and february
         see season. astronomically, it may be considered to
         begin with the winter solstice, about december 21st,
         and to end with the vernal equinox, about march 21st.
         1913 webster

   2. the period of decay, old age, death, or the like.
      1913 webster

            life's autumn past, i stand on winter's verge.
                                                  --wordsworth.
      1913 webster

   winter apple, an apple that keeps well in winter, or that
      does not ripen until winter.

   winter barley, a kind of barley that is sown in autumn.

   winter berry bot., the name of several american shrubs
      ilex verticillata, ilex laevigata, etc. of the holly
      family, having bright red berries conspicuous in winter.
      

   winter bloom. bot.
      a a plant of the genus azalea.
      b a plant of the genus hamamelis hamamelis
          viginica; witch-hazel; -- so called from its flowers
          appearing late in autumn, while the leaves are
          falling.

   winter bud zool., a statoblast.

   winter cherry bot., a plant physalis alkekengi of the
      nightshade family, which has, a red berry inclosed in the
      inflated and persistent calyx. see alkekengi.

   winter cough med., a form of chronic bronchitis marked by
      a cough recurring each winter.

   winter cress bot., a yellow-flowered cruciferous plant
      barbarea vulgaris.

   winter crop, a crop which will bear the winter, or which
      may be converted into fodder during the winter.

   winter duck. zool.
      a the pintail.
      b the old squaw.

   winter egg zool., an egg produced in the autumn by many
      invertebrates, and destined to survive the winter. such
      eggs usually differ from the summer eggs in having a
      thicker shell, and often in being enveloped in a
      protective case. they sometimes develop in a manner
      different from that of the summer eggs.

   winter fallow, ground that is fallowed in winter.

   winter fat. bot. same as white sage, under white.

   winter fever med., pneumonia. colloq.

   winter flounder. zool. see the note under flounder.

   winter gull zool., the common european gull; -- called
      also winter mew. prov. eng.

   winter itch. med. see prarie itch, under prairie.

   winter lodge, or winter lodgment. bot. same as
      hibernaculum.

   winter mew. zool. same as winter gull, above. prov.
      eng.

   winter moth zool., any one of several species of
      geometrid moths which come forth in winter, as the
      european species cheimatobia brumata. these moths have
      rudimentary mouth organs, and eat no food in the imago
      state. the female of some of the species is wingless.

   winter oil, oil prepared so as not to solidify in
      moderately cold weather.

   winter pear, a kind of pear that keeps well in winter, or
      that does not ripen until winter.

   winter quarters, the quarters of troops during the winter;
      a winter residence or station.

   winter rye, a kind of rye that is sown in autumn.

   winter shad zool., the gizzard shad.

   winter sheldrake zool., the goosander. local, u. s.

   winter sleep zool., hibernation.

   winter snipe zool., the dunlin.

   winter solstice. astron. see solstice, 2.

   winter teal zool., the green-winged teal.

   winter wagtail zool., the gray wagtail motacilla
      melanope. prov. eng.

   winter wheat, wheat sown in autumn, which lives during the
      winter, and ripens in the following summer.

   winter wren zool., a small american wren troglodytes
      hiemalis closely resembling the common wren.
      1913 webster
see also:
season winter apple winter barley winter berry ilex verticillata ilex laevigata 
winter bloom hamamelis hamamelis viginica winter bud winter cherry 
physalis alkekengi alkekengi winter cough winter cress barbarea vulgaris 
winter crop winter duck winter egg winter fallow winter fat 
white sage white winter fever winter flounder flounder 
winter gull winter mew winter itch prarie itch prairie 
winter lodge winter lodgment hibernaculum winter mew winter moth 
cheimatobia brumata winter oil winter pear winter quarters winter rye 
winter shad winter sheldrake winter sleep winter snipe winter solstice 
solstice winter teal winter wagtail motacilla melanope winter wheat 
winter wren troglodytes hiemalis