Word Study
playa
CIDE DICTIONARY
playa, n. [Sp.].
A beach; a strand; in the plains and deserts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, a broad, level spot, on which subsequently becomes dry by evaporation. Bartlett. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
playa, n. a flat dried-up area, esp. a desert basin from which water evaporates quickly.
Etymology
Sp., = beach, f. LL plagia
THESAURUS
playa
alkali flat, alluvial plain, bank, basin, beach, berm, bottomland, bushveld, campo, champaign, champaign country, coast, coastal plain, coastland, coastline, delta, desert, down, downs, embankment, fell, flat, flat country, flatland, flats, foreshore, grass veld, grassland, heath, ironbound coast, lande, level, lido, littoral, llano, lowland, lowlands, lunar mare, mare, mesa, mesilla, moor, moorland, open country, pampa, pampas, peneplain, plage, plain, plains, plateau, prairie, riverside, riviera, rockbound coast, salt flat, salt marsh, salt pan, sands, savanna, sea margin, seabank, seabeach, seaboard, seacliff, seacoast, seashore, seaside, sebkha, shingle, shore, shoreline, steppe, strand, submerged coast, table, tableland, tidewater, tree veld, tundra, upland, vega, veld, waterfront, waterside, weald, wide-open spaces, woldROGET THESAURUS
playa
Land
N land, earth, ground, dry land, terra firma, continent, mainland, peninsula, chersonese, delta, tongue of land, neck of land, isthmus, oasis, promontory, highland, coast, shore, scar, strand, beach, playa, bank, lea, seaboard, seaside, seabank, seacoast, seabeach, ironbound coast, loom of the land, derelict, innings, alluvium, alluvion, ancon, riverbank, river bank, levee, soil, glebe, clay, loam, marl, cledge, chalk, gravel, mold, subsoil, clod, clot, rock, crag, acres, real estate, landsman, earthy, continental, midland, coastal, littoral, riparian, alluvial, terrene, landed, predial, territorial, geophilous, ripicolous, ashore, on shore, on land.Plain
N plain, table-land, face of the country, open country, champaign country, basin, downs, waste, weary waste, desert, wild, steppe, pampas, savanna, prairie, heath, common, wold, veldt, moor, moorland, bush, plateau, campagna, alkali flat, llano, mesa, mesilla, playa, shaking prairie, trembling prairie, vega, meadow, mead, haugh, pasturage, park, field, lawn, green, plat, plot, grassplat, greensward, sward, turf, sod, heather, lea, ley, lay, grounds, maidan, agostadero, champaign, alluvial, campestral, campestrial, campestrian, campestrine.
For further exploring for "playa" in Webster Dictionary Online
