veld

/vɛlt/

Other forms: velds

A large area of open grassland found in the southernmost region of Africa is called a veld. Most velds have plenty of low-growing plants for grazing animals, but hardly any trees.

This word, which can also be spelled veldt, came to English from the Dutch-influenced language Afrikaans (in both languages, veld means "field"). If you visit a wildlife preserve in South Africa or Zimbabwe, it's likely to be in a veld. In fact, you're likely to encounter other kinds of velds in this region of Africa, as the word is commonly used in its original sense — if you attend a rugby match, it'll be held in a "rugbyveld."

Definitions of veld

1. noun

   elevated open grassland in southern Africa
   synonyms: veldt

   type of:

   grassland

   land where grass or grasslike vegetation grows and is the dominant form of plant life