Terra firma

//ˌtɛɹ.ə ˈfɜː.mə// noun, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Continental land, as distinguished from islands. uncountable
  2. 2
    the solid part of the earth's surface wordnet
  3. 3
    Land, as opposed to water or air. colloquial, uncountable

    "I […] turned the handle softly, pushed – also softly – and, carrying on into the interior, found myself confronted by a girl in housemaid's costume who put a hand to her throat like somebody in a play and leaped several inches in the direction of the ceiling. “Coo!” she said, having returned to terra firma and taken aboard a spot of breath. “You gave me a start, sir!”"

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin terra firma (“solid land”).

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