garden
noun
a plot of ground, usually near a house, where flowers, shrubs, vegetables, fruits, or herbs are cultivated.
garden
1 American
[gahr-dn]
/ ˈgɑr dn /
noun
-
gardens
plural
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a plot of ground, usually near a house, where flowers, shrubs, vegetables, fruits, or herbs are cultivated.
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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.
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a fertile and delightful spot or region.
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British. yard.
adjective
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pertaining to, produced in, or suitable for cultivation or use in a garden.
fresh garden vegetables; garden furniture.
verb (used without object)
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gardens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gardened,
past participle, past
-
gardening
present participle
verb (used with object)
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gardens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
gardened,
past participle, past
-
gardening
present participle
idioms
Garden
2
American
[gahr-dn]
/ ˈgɑr dn /
noun
-
Alexander, 1730?–91, U.S. naturalist, born in Scotland.
-
Mary, 1877–1967, U.S. soprano.
garden
British
/ ˈɡɑːdən /
noun
-
-
US and Canadian word: yard. an area of land, usually planted with grass, trees, flowerbeds, etc, adjoining a house
-
( as modifier )
a garden chair
-
-
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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
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informal to mislead or deceive a person
adjective
verb
garden
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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garden-likeadjective
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gardenableadjective
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gardenlessadjective
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gardenlikeadjective
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ungardenedadjective
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well-gardenedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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gardensimple
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gardenssimple
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have gardenedperfect
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has gardenedperfect
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am gardeningprogressive
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are gardeningprogressive
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is gardeningprogressive
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have been gardeningperfect progressive
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has been gardeningperfect progressive
Past
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gardenedsimple
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had gardenedperfect
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was gardeningprogressive
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were gardeningprogressive
-
had been gardeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of garden
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
Explanation
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."
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:
Corcept Therapeutics started a StartOrganic garden at its Redwood City, Calif., headquarters last year, with employees in its garden club growing herbs, tomatoes, zucchinis, carrots, beets, broccoli and cauliflower.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
The park, which has sat empty for five years, has rubble, garden waste, black bags and an old caravan strewn across the vast site.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2026
When there’s an on-site garden, the costs are sometimes accounted for as a facilities-management expense.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
Each month, she invites mostly strangers to share personal stories over four-course meals prepared with ingredients from her garden and local farms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026
First his garden, and now the badger meant to insult Clare’s home?
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Garden whites, sulfur butterflies, and wood tiger moths possess ultraviolet-reflecting wing scales that researchers believe may contribute to mate selection.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 12, 2026
Many Garden Staters used to a straight shot into Midtown through Penn are now rerouted through Hoboken—where they catch a bus, ferry or an additional train to get to the city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026
“We joke that the Garden Club is the hottest ticket at Corcept.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
In July this year, Swift and her husband Travis Kelce got married at Madison Square Garden, in a star-studded ceremony officiated by actor Adam Sandler.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Nixon’s older daughter, Tricia, was getting married that afternoon, and she had her heart set on an outdoor ceremony in the Rose Garden.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Built to house employees and their families, the town boasts brick apartment blocks surrounded by gardens and playgrounds, a palace of culture named "Energetik", a hospital, cinema, schools and nurseries.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026
It’s elegant and has that beautiful Marrakech feeling at night: the gardens, the music, the people-watching.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
“The gated, private parcel offers dramatic panoramic city views and sweeping vistas, with multiple usable tiers featuring generous flat pads, terraced gardens, and a dedicated pool level,” the description noted.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
The acquisition, which also includes land next to the gardens, was made possible after the National Trust, a conservation charity that cares for historic buildings, gardens and landscapes, received support and funding from local groups.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Soon there are so many sick that there is no one with strength to tend the gardens, no one with strength to hunt or fish.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
"I had to halt everything. I bought a house in Nashville, I gardened, I saw a therapist and I gave myself a chance to miss music."
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Both gardened, and she thinks the accident contributed to their illnesses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
“My father built a cabin and gardened; we raised chickens and sheep. My mother was a schoolteacher who sewed all my clothes and dolls.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
A University of Arkansas researcher found that women over 50 who gardened at least once a week showed higher bone-density readings than those who engaged in jogging, swimming, walking or aerobics.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 15, 2022
Lena gardened in the back beneath a large sun hat.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
“The community aspect of the program is as important as the gardening itself.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
I’ve worked at a big-box store for 14 years, mostly in the gardening and lumber departments.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
"It's a bit odd they were here in the middle of the night," one local told AFP as she did some gardening in the nearby village of Kempsford.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
He spent nearly NZ$6,000 in a single day on a haul of goods which include food, children's clothing, gardening supplies, fishing gear, knives and lighters, among other things, the inquiry found.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
That was pretty much the best description of my gardening efforts ever.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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