champaign

noun

cham·​paign sham-ˈpān How to pronounce champaign (audio)
1
: an expanse of level open country : plain
2
archaic : battlefield
champaign adjective

Examples of champaign in a Sentence

after days of trudging through dense forest, the explorers came upon a vast champaign

Word History

Etymology

Middle English champaine, from Anglo-French champaigne, from Late Latin campania — more at campaign

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of champaign was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near champaign

Cite this Entry

“Champaign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/champaign. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Geographical Definition

Champaign

geographical name

Cham·​paign sham-ˈpān How to pronounce Champaign (audio)
city in east central Illinois adjoining the city of Urbana population 81,055

More from Merriam-Webster on champaign

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!