savanna

noun

sa·​van·​na sə-ˈva-nə 

variants or less commonly savannah

1

: a treeless plain especially in Florida

2

a

: a tropical or subtropical grassland (as of eastern Africa or northern South America) containing scattered trees and drought-resistant undergrowth

b

: a temperate grassland with scattered trees (such as oaks)

Synonyms

• campo
• champaign
• down(s)
• grassland
• heath
• lea
• ley
• llano
• moor
• pampa
• plain
• prairie
• steppe
• tundra
• veld
• veldt

Examples of savanna in a Sentence

lions roaming the savanna

Recent Examples on the Web

They are found in forests, savannas and wetlands of West Africa. —Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Jan. 2025

By 2050, the entire region could be irreversibly on the path to becoming a savanna. —Nemonte Nenquimo, WIRED, 29 Nov. 2024

Scientists worry that once too much more of the forest is gone, this rain machine could break down, causing the rest of the forest to wither and degrade into grassy savanna. —Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2024

Making debuts on the park’s savanna are Corra, a baby elephant; Elijah, an okapi; and three lions named Mshango, Zahara and Neema. • At Epcot, a manatee named Lou and three male dolphins were relocated from The Seas With Nemo & Friends attraction. —Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish zavana, from Taino zabana

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

savanna

noun

sa·​van·​na

variants also savannah

sə-ˈvan-ə 

: a grassland (as of eastern Africa or northern South America) containing scattered trees