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definitions

gardening

[gahrd-ning]
See more synonyms for gardening on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of cultivating or tending a garden.
  2. the work or art of a gardener.

Origin of gardening

First recorded in 1570–80; garden + -ing1

garden

[gahr-dn]
noun
  1. a plot of ground, usually near a house, where flowers, shrubs, vegetables, fruits, or herbs are cultivated.
  2. 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.
  3. a fertile and delightful spot or region.
  4. British. yard2(def 1).
adjective
  1. pertaining to, produced in, or suitable for cultivation or use in a garden: fresh garden vegetables; garden furniture.
  2. garden-variety.
verb (used without object)
  1. to lay out, cultivate, or tend a garden.
verb (used with object)
  1. to cultivate as a garden.
Idioms
  1. lead up/down the garden path, to deceive or mislead in an enticing way; lead on; delude: The voters had been led up the garden path too often to take a candidate's promises seriously.

Origin of garden

1300–50; Middle English gardin < Old North French gardin, Old French jardin < Germanic; compare Old High German gartin-, German Garten, yard2
Related formsgar·den·a·ble, adjectivegar·den·less, adjectivegar·den·like, adjectiveun·gar·dened, adjectivewell-gar·dened, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for gardening

landscaping, cultivation, planting, growing, floriculture, tillage

Examples from the Web for gardening

Contemporary Examples of gardening

Historical Examples of gardening

  • Agriculture, gardening, and the chase had not absorbed all the strength at our disposal.

    Freeland

    Theodor Hertzka

  • He threw them away, and went on digging as coolly as if he had been gardening.

  • I don't know much about gardening, but I know enough for that.

    Great Uncle Hoot-Toot

    Mrs. Molesworth

  • Entered the gardening and orchard business when a young man.

  • They had got out their gardening tools, and were hard at work in one of the flower-beds.

    Five Mice in a Mouse-trap

    Laura E. Richards

British Dictionary definitions for gardening

gardening

noun
    1. the planning and cultivation of a garden
    2. (as modifier)gardening gloves

garden

noun
  1. British
    1. an area of land, usually planted with grass, trees, flowerbeds, etc, adjoining a houseUS and Canadian word: yard
    2. (as modifier)a garden chair
    1. an area of land used for the cultivation of ornamental plants, herbs, fruit, vegetables, trees, etc
    2. (as modifier)garden tools Related adjective: horticultural
  3. (often plural) such an area of land that is open to the public, sometimes part of a parkbotanical gardens
    1. a fertile and beautiful region
    2. (as modifier)a garden paradise
  5. (modifier) provided with or surrounded by a garden or gardensa garden flat
  6. lead a person up the garden path informal to mislead or deceive a person
adjective
  1. common or garden informal ordinary; unexceptional
verb
  1. to work in, cultivate, or take care of (a garden, plot of land, etc)
Derived Formsgardenless, adjectivegarden-like, adjective

Word Origin for garden

C14: from Old French gardin, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German gart enclosure; see yard ² (sense 1)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for gardening
n.

1570s, verbal noun from garden (v.).

garden

n.

c.1300, from Old North French gardin (13c., Modern French jardin), from Vulgar Latin hortus gardinus "enclosed garden," via Frankish *gardo, from Proto-Germanic *gardaz- (cf. Old Frisian garda, Old Saxon gardo, Old High German garto, German Garten "garden," Old English geard "enclosure," see yard (n.1)). Italian giardino, Spanish jardin are from French.

Garden-party is by 1843. Garden variety in figurative sense first recorded 1928. To lead someone up the garden path "entice, deceive" is attested by 1925.

garden

v.

1570s, from garden (n.). Related: Gardened; gardening.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with gardening

garden

In addition to the idiom beginning with garden

  • garden variety

also see:

  • lead down the garden path
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.