Defn: Of or pertaining to Terpsichore; of or pertaining to dancing.
TERRA
Ter"ra, n. Etym: [It. & L. See Terrace.]
Defn: The earth; earth. Terra alba Etym: [L., white earth] (Com.), a white amorphous earthy substance consisting of burnt gypsum, aluminium silicate (kaolin), or some similar ingredient, as magnesia. It is sometimes used to adulterate certain foods, spices, candies, paints, etc. — Terra cotta. Etym: [It., fr. terra earth + cotta, fem. of cotto cooked, L. coctus, p.p. of coquere to cook. See Cook, n.] Baked clay; a kind of hard pottery used for statues, architectural decorations, figures, vases, and the like. — Terræ filius Etym: [L., son of the earth], formerly, one appointed to write a satirical Latin poem at the public acts in the University of Oxford; — not unlike the prevaricator at Cambridge, England. — Terra firma Etym: [L.], firm or solid earth, as opposed to water. — Terra Japonica. Etym: [NL.] Same as Gambier. It was formerly supposed to be a kind of earth from Japan. — Terra Lemnia Etym: [L., Lemnian earth], Lemnian earth. See under Lemnian. — Terra ponderosa Etym: [L., ponderous earth] (Min.), barite, or heavy spar. — Terra di Sienna. See Sienna.
TERRACE Ter"race, n. Etym: [F. terrasse (cf. Sp. terraza, It. terrazza), fr. L. terra the earth, probably for tersa, originally meaning, dry land, and akin to torrere to parch, E. torrid, and thirst. See Thirst, and cf. Fumitory, Inter, v., Patterre, Terrier, Trass, Tureen, Turmeric.]
1. A raised level space, shelf, or platform of earth, supported on one or more sides by a wall, a bank of tuft, or the like, whether designed for use or pleasure.
2. A balcony, especially a large and uncovered one.
3. A flat roof to a house; as, the buildings of the Oriental nations are covered with terraces.
4. A street, or a row of houses, on a bank or the side of a hill; hence, any street, or row of houses.
5. (Geol.)
Defn: A level plain, usually with a steep front, bordering a river, a lake, or sometimes the sea.