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.
Back to the garden center we went, bringing a leaf as a specimen.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
The specimen was first uncovered by a retired chicken farmer, who had sourced rocks from a nearby quarry to build a garden retaining wall.
From Science Daily • May 6, 2026
Sitting on a worn wooden chair in the garden on a cool Tuesday afternoon, Chambers, 43, a professional glass and metalsmith, reflected on his antiquated strain of craftsmanship.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
"I had cat fencing up in the garden," she said.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
When they’d looked after the garden and fished for dinner and checked the beaches for driftwood or bottles or anything else that might have floated in on the tide, Nim had school.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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.
