graveyard

American  

[greyv-yahrd] / ˈgreɪvˌyɑrd /

noun

1. a burial ground, often associated with smaller rural churches, as distinct from a larger urban or public cemetery.

2. Informal. graveyard shift.

3. a place in which obsolete or derelict objects are kept.

   an automobile graveyard.

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graveyard British  

/ ˈɡreɪvˌjɑːd /

noun

1. a place for graves; a burial ground, esp a small one or one in a churchyard

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Etymology

Origin of graveyard

First recorded in 1765–75; grave ¹ + yard ²

Compare meaning

How does graveyard compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cemetery vs. graveyard

Example Sentences

When the horses drew up to the graveyard’s towering iron gates, she descended the carriage steps, and greeted the cemetery’s watchman.

From Literature

All at once the big monkey stopped squalling and the bottoms got as still as a graveyard.

From Literature

“He was old hat, and Las Vegas was seen as the graveyard of the stars.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Nicknamed Bob Coveiro - meaning "gravedigger" in Portuguese - the loyal dog brought comfort to mourners and became a fixture at the graveyard until his death in 2021, when he was buried alongside his guardian.

From BBC

Fears of ending up in some unemployment graveyard mean workers hold on to lower wages or jobs they hate.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• burial ground
• cemetery