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.
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From the forests and the prairies,
From the great lakes of the northland. --Longfellow.
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2. A meadow or tract of grass; especially, a so called
natural meadow.
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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.
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Swamp \Swamp\, n. [Cf. AS. swam a fungus, OD. swam a sponge, D.
zwam a fungus, G. schwamm a sponge, Icel. sv["o]ppr, Dan. &
Sw. swamp, Goth. swamms, Gr. somfo`s porous, spongy.]
Wet, spongy land; soft, low ground saturated with water, but
not usually covered with it; marshy ground away from the
seashore.
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Gray swamps and pools, waste places of the hern.
--Tennyson.
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A swamp differs from a bog and a marsh in producing
trees and shrubs, while the latter produce only
herbage, plants, and mosses. --Farming
Encyc. (E.
Edwards,
Words).
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Swamp blackbird. (Zool.) See Redwing
(b) .
Swamp cabbage (Bot.), skunk cabbage.
Swamp deer (Zool.), an Asiatic deer (Rucervus Duvaucelli)
of India.
Swamp hen. (Zool.)
(a) An Australian azure-breasted bird (Porphyrio bellus);
-- called also goollema.
(b) An Australian water crake, or rail (Porzana Tabuensis);
-- called also little swamp hen.
(c) The European purple gallinule.
Swamp honeysuckle (Bot.), an American shrub (Azalea
viscosa syn. Rhododendron viscosa or Rhododendron
viscosum) growing in swampy places, with fragrant flowers
of a white color, or white tinged with rose; -- called
also swamp pink and white swamp honeysuckle.
Swamp hook, a hook and chain used by lumbermen in handling
logs. Cf. Cant hook.
Swamp itch. (Med.) See Prairie itch, under Prairie.
Swamp laurel (Bot.), a shrub (Kalmia glauca) having small
leaves with the lower surface glaucous.
Swamp maple (Bot.), red maple. See Maple.
Swamp oak (Bot.), a name given to several kinds of oak
which grow in swampy places, as swamp Spanish oak
(Quercus palustris), swamp white oak (Quercus
bicolor), swamp post oak (Quercus lyrata).
Swamp ore (Min.), bog ore; limonite.
Swamp partridge (Zool.), any one of several Australian game
birds of the genera Synoicus and Excalfatoria, allied
to the European partridges.
Swamp robin (Zool.), the chewink.
Swamp sassafras (Bot.), a small North American tree of the
genus Magnolia (Magnolia glauca) with aromatic leaves
and fragrant creamy-white blossoms; -- called also sweet
bay.
Swamp sparrow (Zool.), a common North American sparrow
(Melospiza Georgiana, or Melospiza palustris), closely
resembling the song sparrow. It lives in low, swampy
places.
Swamp willow. (Bot.) See Pussy willow, under Pussy.
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