WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
pla•ya
(plī′ə),USA pronunciation n.
- Geology, Geography, Dialect Terms, Place Names[Western U.S.]the sandy, salty, or mud-caked flat floor of a desert basin having interior drainage, usually occupied by a shallow lake during or after prolonged, heavy rains. Cf. dry lake.
- Late Latin plagia; see plage
- Spanish: shore
- 1850–55, American.
'playa' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):