What does "parterre" mean?
A flowerbed, particularly an elevated one.
Parterre
/pɑːˈtɛə/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A flowerbed, particularly an elevated one.
- Grammar: parterre is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: auditorium, balcony, billiard table, bowling green.
- Useful contrasts: balcony seating, entresol, natural garden.
- Usage evidence: The parterre gardens had beautiful spiral paths, letting the guests cut through the flowerbeds.
How to use "parterre"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "parterre" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "parterre" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "parterre" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "parterre" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "parterre" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "auditorium" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "parterre", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A flowerbed, particularly an elevated one.
"The window opened towards a most lovely garden, whose smooth turf and gorgeous parterres swept down to the river."
- 2 seating at the rear of the main floor (beneath the balconies) wordnet
- 3 A garden with paths between such flowerbeds.
"Parham House, near Pulborough in West Sussex, has a four-acre walled garden that was restored in the Twenties and has been maintained at a high level ever since. It is divided into four areas, one of which is filled by the cut-flower borders and a box-enclosed parterre. […] It is traditional in a parterre to mix flowers and veg, but this relaxed jungle of productive plants, packed in tight together, is lusher and more beautiful than the more usual Villandry style, where single or pairs of plants are used."
- 4 an ornamental flower garden; beds and paths are arranged to form a pattern wordnet
- 5 A part of the section of theater seats located on the ground floor, on the same level as the orchestra.
"That was Selwyn's first encounter with the Ruthvens. A short time afterward at the opera Gerald dragged him into a parterre to say something amiable to one of the amiable débutante Craig girls—and Selwyn found himself again facing Alixe."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A part of the section of theater seats located on the ground floor, on the same level as the orchestra.; The part of the ground-floor section nearest the orchestra and the stage; the stalls.
- 7 A part of the section of theater seats located on the ground floor, on the same level as the orchestra.; The part of the ground-floor section behind the stalls and underneath the galleries; the pit. British
- 8 That part of a theater audience seated in the parterre, sometimes regarded as belonging to a lower social class. broadly
- 9 An apartment balcony. New-York, US
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The parterre gardens had beautiful spiral paths, letting the guests cut through the flowerbeds."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "parterre"?
Common synonyms include: auditorium, balcony, billiard table, bowling green, box, box seat.
How do you use "parterre" in a sentence?
The parterre gardens had beautiful spiral paths, letting the guests cut through the flowerbeds.
How do you pronounce "parterre"?
Pronounced /pɑːˈtɛə/.
Etymology
Borrowed from French parterre (“on the ground”), from par (“on”) + terre (“ground”).