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
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.
Cheryl Grimmer, 3, disappeared from Fairy Meadow beach in Wollongong, south of Sydney, in January 1970.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
The value of homes sales along the Hamptons’ coveted Meadow Lane since the start of 2025, according to a WSJ analysis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
Last week the stream at Pangbourne Meadow has become one of 13 new designated swimming spots in the UK.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
Meadow Gold Mack, a friendly lumberjack, is mascot for a shop of the same name on 11th Street in Tulsa.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
In fact, the Meadow River Lumber Company operated the world’s largest sawmill not too far away, along the Meadow River between the Sewell and Simms Mountains, at the western edge of Greenbrier County.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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.
