veld
/vɛlt
/(also veldt)
noun [mass noun]
Open, uncultivated country or grassland in southern Africa. It is conventionally divided by altitude into highveld, middleveld, and lowveld.South Africa's eastern coastal zone has relatively high rainfall, but the western veld tapers into the Kalahari desert....
- Klipriviersberg, in the south, has 680 hectares of open veld and unspoilt koppies for hiking.
- In the west are well-watered hills, rich in iron ore, from which run several rivers to the dry veld in the middle of the country.
Origin
Afrikaans, from Dutch, literally 'field'.