terroir
Meanings
Noun
1. Area of natural land considered in terms of agriculture. (collectively)
a. Expanse of natural land or soil possessing shared physical properties which affect how it can be exploited.
b. Geographic area or region encompassing cultivated land characterized by a unique combination of agricultural, cultural and historical properties.
c. The extent of land cultivated by a rural community. (historical)
2. Area considered in terms of local particularities in culture and tradition; region. (informal)
3. An individual's place of origin; homeland; background. (informal, slightly dated)
4. Domain, estate; territory. (chiefly poetic or archaic, archaic, poetic)
5. The traditional pastoral landscape exemplifying the nation-state. (alt-right politics)
Examples4
le terroir de vallée du Rhône
the land of the Rhône Valley
accent du terroir
regional accent
Les terroirs de Franche-Comté sont connus pour leurs fromages.
The agricultural lands of Franche-Comté are famous for their cheeses.
terroir de graviers
gravelly soil