lawn
1 Americannoun
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a stretch of open, grass-covered land, especially one closely mowed, as near a house, on an estate, or in a park.
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Archaic. a glade.
noun
noun
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a flat and usually level area of mown and cultivated grass
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an archaic or dialect word for glade
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lawn1
1250–1300; Middle English launde < Middle French lande glade < Celtic; compare Breton lann heath. See land
Origin of lawn2
1375–1425; late Middle English lawnd, laun, perhaps named after Laon, where linen-making once flourished
Explanation
A lawn is an area of ground that's planted with grass. Your next-door neighbor might be so overly proud of his tidy lawn that he stands on it, glaring at the dandelions growing in yours. Most lawns are neatly mowed — a lawn that's allowed to grow tall might more accurately be called a field, especially if there are weeds or wildflowers mixed in with the grass. It's difficult to grow a lawn in places that don't get much rain, since it needs to be watered regularly to stay green and lush. Lawn was laune in the 1500s, meaning "open space between the woods," from the Old French lande, "heath, moor, or clearing."
Vocabulary lists containing lawn
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.
The White House has hosted recreational sports and events before, but the event on the South Lawn marked the first professional live sporting show to take place on the grounds.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
The tens of thousands of UFC and Trump fans who gathered on the South Lawn and the Ellipse, however, were clearly having a very good time.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
There is a 600-ton octagon still sitting on the South Lawn.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
Fourteen men are scheduled to face off under a spaceshiplike structure on the South Lawn, fulfilling Trump’s penchant for showmanship and boundary-pushing as he hosts the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
One spring morning, Barack and the girls and I were summoned downstairs from the residence to the South Lawn.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
