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.
1850-55, Americanism; < Spanish: shore < Late Latinplagia; see plage
Examples from the web for playa
Then a dazzling stroke of fortune presented a chance to playa really important rôle.
And, by some people's standards, he doesn't even playa sport: he bowls.
You're not supposed to throw anything away on the playa.
Learn how wind can push rocks the size of small appliances hundreds of feet across a desert playa.
The serene beauty was overwhelming with clouds of dust blowing across the playa in the warm breeze.
Also called a playa, sink, or salt pan environment: noun: conditions that surround and influence an organism or community.
British Dictionary definitions for playa
playa
/ˈplɑːjə; Spanish ˈplaja/
noun
1.
(in the US) a temporary lake, or its dry often salty bed, in a desert basin
Word Origin
Spanish: shore, from Late Latin plagia, from Greek plagios slanting, from plagos side; compare French plage beach
Contemporary definitions for playa
noun
a colloquial spelling for player, in the sense of a person who is involved and influential in an activity
Examples
Are you a playa?
Usage Note
slang
playa in Science
playa
(plī'ə) A dry lake bed at the bottom of a desert basin, sometimes temporarily covered with water. Playas have no vegetation and are among the flattest geographical features in the world. Also called sink.