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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

terra firma en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /ˌtɛɹ.ə ˈfɜː.mə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˌtɛɹ.ə ˈfɝ.mə/ (General-American)

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin terra firma (“solid land”).

Meanings

  1. (uncountable) Continental land, as distinguished from islands.
    • Near-synonym: mainland
  2. (colloquial, uncountable) Land, as opposed to water or air.
    • I […] turned the handle softly, pushed – also softly – and, carrying on into the interior, found myself confronted by a girl in housemaid's costume who put a hand to her throat like somebody in a play and leaped several inches in the direction of the ceiling. “Coo!” she said, having returned to terra firma and taken aboard a spot of breath. “You gave me a start, sir!” 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter VII:
    • Reize is a floaty character (thanks to that scarf), so this kick can be great for quickly getting back to terra firma or to that game-winning gem! 2019 November 13, “Reize – Showdown Character Highlight”, in yachtclubgames.com, Yacht Club Games, archived from the original on 27 Nov 2020, Dive Kick:
    • Near-synonyms: dry land, solid ground
  3. (idiomatic, uncountable) Familiar territory (in a figurative sense); real-world concerns.
    • It's nice to be back on terra firma after a long session of analyzing the philosopher's abstruse theories.
    • Near-synonym: solid ground

Antonyms

air castle · castle in the air · pie in the sky · pipe dream

Coordinates

uncharted territory · archipelago · terra incognita · uncharted water

Synonyms

on solid ground · on solid ground · dry land · mainland

Translations (13)

tpw ybyeté (land, as opposed to water or air) · pt terra firme (land, as opposed to water or air) · pl stały ląd (land, as opposed to water or air) · ca terra ferma (land, as opposed to water or air) · de fester Boden (land, as opposed to water or air) · es tierra firme (land, as opposed to water or air) · fr plancher des vaches (land, as opposed to water or air) · sv fast mark (land, as opposed to water or air) · sv terra firma (land, as opposed to water or air) · fi kuiva maa (land, as opposed to water or air) · it terraferma (land, as opposed to water or air) · nl vaste grond (land, as opposed to water or air) · fr terre ferme (land, as opposed to water or air)