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:
By grazing on red algae, that can prevent sunlight reaching the meadow, sea hares play a role in restoring eelgrass, which is vital to coastal ecosystems and an important carbon sink.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Research led by Professor Carl Sayer at UCL Geography has found that abandoned farmland can recover naturally and develop into a diverse wildflower meadow, raising questions about some conventional methods used in habitat restoration.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Both are considered indicators of successful meadow restoration.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
When he finally purchased a few acres of property in Provence in southern France, he discovered no peaceful meadow but a landscape full of murder and indifference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
She followed this to a meadow dotted with marula trees.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Agricultural fields and meadows ranked between gardens and lawns.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026
A £1.5m project to build a new nature reserve for a town on poor quality, unmanaged meadows will start next month.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
"Oil contamination in the Hallaniyat Islands threatens coral reefs, seagrass meadows and coastal habitats that support endangered sea turtles, migratory seabirds and marine mammals," Noelle said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
This hike through Yosemite National Park features meadows, wildflowers and epic views.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
A boy could walk out through the garden gate and straight into the rye, and beyond that into meadows strewn with wildflowers to pick, pine forests to ramble in, and streams to follow.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
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.
