lawn
1 Americannoun
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a stretch of open, grass-covered land, especially one closely mowed, as near a house, on an estate, or in a park.
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Archaic. a glade.
noun
noun
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a flat and usually level area of mown and cultivated grass
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an archaic or dialect word for glade
noun
Other Word Forms
- lawny adjective
Etymology
Origin of lawn1
1250–1300; Middle English launde < Middle French lande glade < Celtic; compare Breton lann heath. See land
Origin of lawn2
1375–1425; late Middle English lawnd, laun, perhaps named after Laon, where linen-making once flourished
Explanation
A lawn is an area of ground that's planted with grass. Your next-door neighbor might be so overly proud of his tidy lawn that he stands on it, glaring at the dandelions growing in yours. Most lawns are neatly mowed — a lawn that's allowed to grow tall might more accurately be called a field, especially if there are weeds or wildflowers mixed in with the grass. It's difficult to grow a lawn in places that don't get much rain, since it needs to be watered regularly to stay green and lush. Lawn was laune in the 1500s, meaning "open space between the woods," from the Old French lande, "heath, moor, or clearing."
Vocabulary lists containing lawn
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.
Day-to-day upkeep like mowing the lawn, shoveling snow and even basic housekeeping can become burdensome or unsafe as physical limitations increase.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
Saul Pacheco, who turns 88 in November, is sitting in a lawn chair at the Arcadia Invitational with his friends, the starters dressed in red suits who fire pistols to begin races.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Chohan, who is now facing her fifth surgery on her legs after she was injured in the same incident on the school lawn, said she wanted to know when a decision would be made.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
Jacqui Heinrich was visibly puzzled while reporting from the White House lawn on Thursday.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026
We’re on the lawn behind the Elmers School building, standing in rows, wooden rifles at our sides.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
