high country
4
6.8
- noun
:
tierra alta
- Two days later, she walked slowly along a winding road in the high country near Thekkady.
- the high country of Colorado
- the high country of Yosemite
- high country snow
Examples
-
Despite the early snows in the high country, not much had fallen since, nor had much rain come to the valley.
Fiction book (1992) -
Many, such as Leroy Lee and others engaged in the OLR project, enjoyed fishing unpolluted rivers and hunting the pristine high country that surrounded Butte.
Academic text (2016) -
Looks like the high country back home.
-
I thought you said he was in the high country.
-
This bear is supposed to be in the high country.
-
October in the high country.
Fiction book (1998) -
In the high country, the morning frost would sometimes last until afternoon.
-
The high country above the valley was mostly inaccessible by car since the roads are closed all winter.
Academic text (1994) -
One Saturday, I walked up into the high country above the meadows.
Fiction book (1990) -
In the high country, the morning frost would sometimes last until afternoon.
Synonyms
99
3.9
A large flat area of land higher than the land around it
20
3.2
An area of high, hilly land often with farms or villages
6
4.9
An area of high land above the low land around it
3
4.2
Land with many high hills and steep slopes
1
2.3
A high place that gives a wide view of the area
How High
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an area of land at higher elevation' is directly and compositionally derived from 'high' (elevated) + 'country' (rural land). This is a straightforward compound-like description found across languages and follows normal English adjective+noun patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun high country names land that is high up, like mountain areas above the lower hills. The phrase comes from the picture of high meaning 'tall' and country meaning 'open land', so it refers to the 'high' part of the landscape where the air is cooler, snow may stay longer and different plants grow, and people go there for views and hiking.