parterre Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an ornamental flower garden; beds and paths are arranged to form a pattern
  2. noun seating at the rear of the main floor (beneath the balconies)
    parquet circle.

WordNet

Par*terre" noun
Etymology
F., fr. par on, by (L. per)+terre earth, ground, L. terra. See Terrace.
Definitions
  1. (Hort.) An ornamental and diversified arrangement of beds or plots, in which flowers are cultivated, with intervening spaces of gravel or turf for walking on.
  2. The pit of a theater; the parquet. France

Webster 1913