park

¹

[pahrk]

noun

1. an area of land, usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment of the public, having facilities for rest and recreation, often owned, set apart, and managed by a city, state, or nation.

2. an enclosed area or a stadium used for sports.

   a baseball park.

3. a considerable extent of land forming the grounds of a country house.

4. British.,  a tract of land reserved for wild animals; game preserve.

5. Western U.S.,  a broad valley in a mountainous region.

6. a space where vehicles, especially automobiles, may be assembled or stationed.

7. amusement park.

8. theme park.

9. any area set aside for public recreation.

10. Military.

    1. the space occupied by the assembled guns, tanks, or vehicles of a military unit.

    2. the assemblage so formed.

    3. (formerly) the ammunition trains and reserve artillery of an army.

11. Automotive.,  a setting in an automatic transmission in which the transmission is in neutral and the brake is engaged.

verb (used with object)

1. to place or leave (a vehicle) in a certain place for a period of time.

2. Informal.,  to put, leave, or settle.

   Park your coat on the chair. Park yourself over there for a moment.

3. to assemble (equipment or supplies) in a military park.

4. to enclose in or as in a park.

5. Informal.,  to invest (funds) in a stock, bond, etc., considered to be a safe investment with little chance of depreciation, as during a recession or an unstable economic period, or until one finds a more profitable investment.

6. Aerospace.,  to place (a satellite) in orbit.

verb (used without object)

1. to park a car, bicycle, etc.

2. Informal.,  to engage in kissing and caressing in a parked car.

Park

²

[pahrk]

noun

1. Mungo 1771–1806?, Scottish explorer in Africa.

2. Robert E., 1864–1944, U.S. sociologist.

park

¹

/ pɑːk /

noun

1. a large area of land preserved in a natural state for recreational use by the public See also national park

2. a piece of open land in a town with public amenities

3. an area, esp of mountain country, reserved for recreational purposes

4. a large area of land forming a private estate

5. English law an enclosed tract of land where wild beasts are protected, acquired by a subject by royal grant or prescription Compare forest

6. an area designed and landscaped to accommodate a group of related enterprises, businesses, research establishments, etc

   science park

7. See amusement park

8. See car park

9. a playing field or sports stadium

10. informal,  a soccer pitch

11. a gear selector position on the automatic transmission of a motor vehicle that acts as a parking brake

12. the area in which the equipment and supplies of a military formation are assembled

13. a high valley surrounded by mountains in the western US

verb

1. to stop and leave (a vehicle) temporarily

2. to manoeuvre (a motor vehicle) into a space for it to be left

   try to park without hitting the kerb

3. stock exchange to register (securities) in the name of another or of nominees in order to conceal their real ownership

4. informal,  (tr) to leave or put somewhere

   park yourself in front of the fire

5. (intr) military to arrange equipment in a park

6. (tr) to enclose in or as a park

Park

²

/ pɑːk /

noun

1. Mungo (ˈmʌŋɡəʊ). 1771–1806, Scottish explorer. He led two expeditions (1795–97; 1805–06) to trace the course of the Niger in Africa. He was drowned during the second expedition

2. Nick, full name Nicholas Wulstan Park. born 1958, British animator and film director; his films include A Grand Day Out (1992), which introduced the characters Wallace and Gromit, and the feature-length Chicken Run (2000)

3. Chung Hee. (ˈtʃʊŋ ˈhiː). 1917–79, South Korean politician; president of the Republic of Korea (1963–79); assassinated

Other Word Forms

• parker noun
• parklike adjective
• overpark verb
• repark verb
• superpark noun
• unparked adjective
• well-parked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of park¹

1225–75; Middle English (noun) < Old French parc enclosure < Late Latin *parricus < West Germanic *parruk ( paddock ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of park¹

C13: from Old French parc, from Medieval Latin parricus enclosure, from Germanic; compare Old High German pfarrih pen, Old English pearruc _paddock ¹

Example Sentences

The EU Court of Justice on Thursday handed Greece a heavy daily fine for failing to shut down an illegal landfill in a key marine park on the tourist island of Zakynthos.

Read more on Barron's

So before you book that flight to see that park, you should check to make sure it will be open.

Read more on MarketWatch

Which is how one of the world’s biggest soccer clubs will end up playing its next home game in a 6,000-seat park at its own practice facility.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

A garden, attractive though it certainly is, is not a park.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

“Our school parking lots are not for ICE to load their weapons,” he said at a news conference.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• estate 
• forest 
• garden 
• lawn 
• place 
• playground 
• plaza 
• square