noun
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an area of grassland, often used for hay or for grazing of animals
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a low-lying piece of grassland, often boggy and near a river
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of meadow
before 1000; Middle English medwe, Old English mǣdw-, oblique stem of mǣd mead 2; akin to German Matte
Explanation
The noun meadow is another word for a hayfield, but offers a much more picturesque view as an open field of lush grass filled with butterflies and birds, with room to run. It can also refer to a piece of land found along a river. The word meadow refers to any grassland or hayfield, often just an expansive area that should be mowed. Indeed, the word comes from the Old English word mæd from the Germanic mædwon the base of which means “mow.” Still, the bucolic feeling is retained, as Dale Carnegie put it: “Let us not get so busy or live so fast that we can't listen to the music of the meadow or the symphony that glorifies the forest."
Vocabulary lists containing meadow
Beowulf vocabulary
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"The Wife of Bath's Tale," Vocabulary from the narrative poem
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List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His farm in a meadow close by the village of Sofiytsi in southern Bulgaria backs onto the wooded slopes of the mountain range associated with the mythological musician Orpheus.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
“People loved it because it was like a wildflower meadow in the middle of the city,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
On the day of the attack, Shubham and Aishanya went to Baisaran valley, a gorgeous meadow high above Pahalgam, while the rest of the group stayed behind in the main town.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026
A weedy meadow Full of burdock and daisies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
It’s just a large meadow, with a hangar to one side.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
This hike through Yosemite National Park features meadows, wildflowers and epic views.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The UK has lost more than 90% of its seagrass meadows over the last century.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The single, Bracken Road from Hopkins' 1947: Suite For Solo Piano And Orchestra, was influenced by the streets, meadows, farmland and mountains that surrounded the star's family home in the 1940s.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
On the island’s extensive bike-path network, you’ll pass through wetlands, ponds and open meadows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
Soulzeren raised the sail and sheeted it, bringing the bow around and aiming for the meadows outside the city walls.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
