Plains

/pleɪnz/ noun

Definition

Large flat areas of land with few trees or hills, often covered with grass or crops.

Etymology

From Old French 'plain' and Latin 'planus' meaning 'flat' or 'level.' The word retained its simple meaning throughout the evolution of English. 'Plain' can also be an adjective (meaning simple or flat), and both uses trace to the same Latin root.

Kelly Says

The Great Plains of North America were shaped by ancient glaciers and shaped human history—millions of buffalo roamed there before railroads transformed them into agricultural heartland. The word 'plain' seems simple, but it describes landscapes that changed the course of human civilization!

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