3. A flat roof to a house; as, the buildings of the Oriental nations
are covered with terraces.
4. A street, or a row of houses, on a bank or the side of a hill;
hence, any street, or row of houses.
5. (Geol.) A level plain, usually with a steep front, bordering a
river, a lake, or sometimes the sea.
Many rivers are bordered by a series of terraces at different levels,
indicating the flood plains at successive periods in their history.
Terrace epoch. (Geol.) See Drift epoch, under Drift, a.
Ter"race, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Terraced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Terracing
(?).] To form into a terrace or terraces; to furnish with a terrace or
terraces, as, to terrace a garden, or a building. Sir H. Wotton.
Clermont's terraced height, and Esher's groves.
Thomson.
Ter"ra*cul`ture (?), n. [L. terra the earth + cultura.] Cultivation on
the earth; agriculture. [R.] — Ter`ra*cul"tur*al (#), a. [R.]
Ter"rane (?), n. [F. terrain, from L. terra earth.] (Geol.) A group of
rocks having a common age or origin; — nearly equivalent to formation,
but used somewhat less comprehensively.
Ter"ra*pin (?), n. [Probably of American Indian origin.] (Zoöl.) Any
one of numerous species of tortoises living in fresh and brackish
waters. Many of them are valued for food. [Written also terapin,
terrapen, terrapene, and turapen.]
The yellow-bellied terrapin (Pseudemys acebra) of the Southern United
States, the red-bellied terrapin (Pseudemys rugosa), native of the
tributaries Chesapeake Bay (called also potter, slider, and redfender),
and the diamond-back or salt-marsh terrapin (Malaclemmys palustris),
are the most important American species. The diamond-back terrapin is
native of nearly the whole of the Atlantic coast of the United States.
Alligator terrapin, the snapping turtle. — Mud terrapin, any one of
numerous species of American tortoises of the genus Cinosternon. —
Painted terrapin, the painted turtle. See under Painted. — Speckled
terrapin, a small fresh-water American terrapin (Chelopus guttatus)
having the carapace black with round yellow spots; — called also
spotted turtle.
Ter*ra"que*ous (?), a. [L. terra the earth + E. aqueous.] Consisting of
land and water; as, the earth is a terraqueous globe. Cudworth.
The grand terraqueous spectacle From center to circumference unveiled.
Wordsworth.
Ter"rar (?), n. [LL. terrarius liber. See Terrier a collection of
acknowledgments.] (O. Eng. Law) See 2d Terrier, 2.
Ter"ras (?), n. (Min.) See &?;rass.
Ter*reen" (?), n. See Turren.
Ter*re"i*ty (?), n. Quality of being earthy; earthiness. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
Ter"rel (?), n. [NL. terrella, from L. terra the earth.] A spherical
magnet so placed that its poles, equator, etc., correspond to those of
the earth. [Obs.] Chambers.
Terre"mote` (?), n. [OF. terremote, terremoete, fr. L. terra the earth
+ movere, motum, to move.] An earthquake. [Obs.] Gower.
Ter*rene" (?), n. A tureen. [Obs.] Walpole.
Ter*rene", a. [L. terrenus, fr. terra the earth. See Terrace.] 1. Of or
pertaining to the earth; earthy; as, terrene substance. Holland.