terrace
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a flat, paved area outside a house or restaurant where you can sit and eat.
n.a raised, level platform extending from a building, typically paved and used for outdoor dining or relaxation.
Simple“We spent the warm summer evening drinking coffee on the terrace.”
In context“The hotel's rooftop terrace offers guests an unobstructed view of the Mediterranean, making it a popular venue for evening receptions.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a row of similar houses that are joined together in a line.
n.a row of identical or mirror-image houses sharing side walls, forming a continuous architectural block.
Simple“They live in a beautiful Victorian terrace near the park.”
In context“The urban redevelopment plan focuses on preserving the historic brick terraces while modernising the interior infrastructure for energy efficiency.”
Synonymsrow housestownhousesAntonymsdetached house - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a flat area cut into a hill like a giant step, often used for growing crops.
n.a level or nearly level strip of land on a slope, either naturally occurring or man-made for agricultural irrigation and erosion control.
Simple“Farmers in the mountains use terraces to grow rice on the steep slopes.”
In context“Ancient civilizations engineered sophisticated terraces to maximize arable land in mountainous regions where traditional farming was impossible.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.the wide steps in a sports stadium where people stand to watch a game.
n.the tiered standing area in a sports ground, traditionally used by spectators before the transition to all-seater stadiums.
Simple“The fans on the terraces started singing as soon as the players walked out.”
In context“Safety regulations introduced in the 1990s led to the removal of standing terraces in most major football league stadiums.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
v.to make a slope flat by cutting steps into it.
v.to form or reshape a sloping area into a series of horizontal levels or tiers.
Simple“The gardener decided to terrace the backyard to create more space for flowers.”
In context“The landscape architect proposed to terrace the steep embankment, creating a series of functional garden levels that prevent soil runoff during heavy rain.”
Borrowed from French terrasse, from Old Occitan terrassa, from terra (“land”). Doublet of terrasse.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.