a plot of ground, usually near a house, where flowers, shrubs, vegetables, fruits, or herbs are cultivated.
a piece of ground or other space, commonly with ornamental plants, trees, etc., used as a park or other public recreation area.
a public garden.
a fertile and delightful spot or region.
British. yard.
pertaining to, produced in, or suitable for cultivation or use in a garden.
fresh garden vegetables; garden furniture.
Alexander, 1730?–91, U.S. naturalist, born in Scotland.
Mary, 1877–1967, U.S. soprano.
US and Canadian word: yard. an area of land, usually planted with grass, trees, flowerbeds, etc, adjoining a house
( as modifier )
a garden chair
an area of land used for the cultivation of ornamental plants, herbs, fruit, vegetables, trees, etc
( as modifier )
garden tools
(often plural) such an area of land that is open to the public, sometimes part of a park
botanical gardens
a fertile and beautiful region
( as modifier )
a garden paradise
(modifier) provided with or surrounded by a garden or gardens
a garden flat
informal to mislead or deceive a person
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English gardin, from Old North French gardin, Old French jardin, from Germanic; compare Old High German gartin-, German Garten; see also yard 2
A garden is a piece of land that's used to grow flowers, vegetables, or other plants. Your grandmother might be so proud of her rose garden that she gives every visitor a tour of it. A vegetable garden is often planted in straight rows, sometimes within a raised bed. Flower gardens can take all sorts of shapes, from tidy to meandering. When you work in your garden, pulling weeds or planting seedlings, you garden. In the UK, a garden is what's called a yard in the US — any bit of land just outside of a house. The phrase "garden variety" means "ordinary:" "Oh he's just a garden variety mixed-breed dog, nothing fancy."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Julia Lee had no need for a new garden when she and her husband purchased their Cheviot Hills home eight years ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
“My garden is beautiful in the spring; then it goes dormant in the summer. And that’s OK.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026
A year before the attack, Zeraati's wife had filmed Stana and another man in the communal garden in front of their Wimbledon home.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
You might think a honey bee foraging in your garden and a browser window running ChatGPT have nothing in common.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
This dog would appear suddenly at the garden gate, and bark at her, his whole body shaking with fury.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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.
