Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A stretch of level and open country; a plain.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A flat open country.
  • Level; open.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A flat, open country.
  • adjective Flat; open; level.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun geography, archaic Open countryside, or an area of open countryside.
  • noun obsolete A battlefield.
  • adjective Pertaining to open countryside; unforested, flat.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a university town in east central Illinois adjoining Urbana
  • noun extensive tract of level open land

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English champain, from Old French champainge, from Late Latin campānia; see campaign.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French champaigne, from Latin campānia.

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Examples

  • Clinton's champaign is fighting for states both candidates agreed not to champaign in?

    Clinton lawyer makes Florida, Michigan case 2008

  • Truly the phrase champaign socialists has never been more apt for this amoral, corrupt, sleaze ridden government.

    Archive 2008-03-01 FIDO The Dog 2008

  • The coast receded between the eastern point of the cove to that which terminated the Bay of Torwich, embracing what may be almost termed a champaign country, compared with the barren scenery I have described; and displaying the uneven surface of the richly wooded Park of Dovedale, with the ruins of two castles.

    The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 13, No. 375, June 13, 1829 Various

  • The soil there is very fruitful, a great part whereof is mountainous, but much likewise champaign, which is the most sweet and pleasant part, for it is watered by several navigable streams, and beautified with many gardens of pleasure planted with divers sorts of trees and an abundance of orchards.

    Ancient America, in Notes on American Archaeology 1846

  • Jamrkan and Sa’adan rode out with forty-thousand stalwart fighting-men, under each standard a thousand cavaliers, doughty champions, foremost in champaign.

    The Book of The Thousand Nights And A Night 2006

  • In other news the liberals and dems are upset on this board because they didn't get a check that Obama promised them during his champaign instead he bought himself a new teleprompter and sent the rest to help Hamas

    South Carolina governor goes missing 2009

  • Last night Shawn and I celebrated by opening a bottle of champaign (no, really, we always have some around) and watching "Last Legion" (which, btw, is an AWESOME movie.)

    Day in the Life of an Idiot lyda222 2009

  • This is hilarious coming from the party that tried to use Britney Spears 'fame to denounce Obama's fame during the champaign.

    GOP's new youth ambassador: Lady Gaga? 2009

  • Where can I contribute to Mr. King's political champaign?

    Jackson fans rally against Peter King 2009

  • In other news the liberals and dems are upset on this bored because they didn't get a check that Obama promised them during his champaign instead he bought himself a new teleprompter and sent the rest to help Hamas

    South Carolina governor goes missing 2009

Comments

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  • Also an extensive tract of level open land set in an extensive tract of level open land set in an extensive tract of mostly level, mostly open land known as Illinois.

    June 13, 2008

  • Are you on the level, Asa?

    September 26, 2008

  • It's the name of a town in Illinois, bilb. :-)

    September 26, 2008

  • Is the town level, though? What about extensive... is it extensive too?

    September 26, 2008

  • I lived there for a couple years, and it is indeed quite level.

    September 27, 2008

  • According to WordNet it's 'the solid part of the Earth's surface'. I hope it's extensive.

    September 27, 2008

  • Strange, I looked up this word about 2 minutes before I signed on to Wordie this morning. MW3 says that it was often pronounced cham- rather than sham- in its floruit.

    September 27, 2008

  • A campaign run by the liberal elite.

    December 15, 2008