champaign

noun

cham·paign sham-ˈpān

: an expanse of level open country : plain

archaic : battlefield

champaign adjective

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

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

See more words from the same century

Style

“Champaign.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/champaign. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Champaign

Cham·paign sham-ˈpān

city in east central Illinois adjoining the city of Urbana population 81,055

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