Ter·race n.
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. A level plain, usually with a steep front, bordering a river, a lake, or sometimes the sea.
Note: ☞ Many rivers are bordered by a series of terraces at different levels, indicating the flood plains at successive periods in their history.
Terrace epoch. Geol. See Drift epoch, under Drift, a.