Terrace
/ˈtɛr.əs/noun
A level outdoor platform or a row of houses built in a continuous line.
Did you know?Terrace comes from the same ancient root as words for dry land and soil, and it passed through Latin as a term for an earth bank before becoming the polished word for a raised platform.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ters-
“to dry; dry land”
Latin
Latin
terra
“earth, land”
Late Latin
Latin
terracea
“an earth bank or mound”
Old French
Old French
terrasse
“an embankment; a raised bank or platform”
16th Century
English
terrace
“a raised level area of ground or a row of houses”
Explore more surprising origins