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definitions

lawn

1
[lawn]
See more synonyms for lawn on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a stretch of open, grass-covered land, especially one closely mowed, as near a house, on an estate, or in a park.
  2. Archaic. a glade.

Origin of lawn

1
1250–1300; Middle English launde < Middle French lande glade < Celtic; compare Breton lann heath. See land
Related formslawn·y, adjective

lawn

2
[lawn]
noun
  1. a thin or sheer linen or cotton fabric, either plain or printed.

Origin of lawn

2
1375–1425; late Middle English lawnd, laun, perhaps named after Laon, where linen-making once flourished
Related formslawn·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for lawn

yard, garden, park, green, terrace, backyard, grass, plot, grassplot

Examples from the Web for lawn

Contemporary Examples of lawn

Historical Examples of lawn

  • "I wish you were entirely independent of Austin," said Viviette, walking with him up the lawn.

    Viviette

    William J. Locke

  • There were tables under the trees on the lawn, and a new sign on the gate.

    K

    Mary Roberts Rinehart

  • Catherine and Sidney remained on the lawn; the rest followed the host.

    Night and Morning, Complete

    Edward Bulwer-Lytton

  • And such is life-love on the lawn and settlements in the parlour.

    Night and Morning, Complete

    Edward Bulwer-Lytton

  • They were to dine on the lawn, in a large marquee, and to dance in the evening.

British Dictionary definitions for lawn

lawn

1
noun
  1. a flat and usually level area of mown and cultivated grass
  2. an archaic or dialect word for glade
Derived Formslawny, adjective

Word Origin for lawn

C16: changed form of C14 launde, from Old French lande, of Celtic origin; compare Breton lann heath; related to land

lawn

2
noun
  1. a fine linen or cotton fabric, used for clothing
Derived Formslawny, adjective

Word Origin for lawn

C15: probably from Laon, a town in France where linen was made
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 lawn
n.1

"turf, stretch of grass," 1540s, laune "glade, open space between woods," from Middle English launde (c.1300), from Old French lande "heath, moor, barren land; clearing" (12c.), from Gaulish (cf. Breton lann "heath"), or from its Germanic cognate, source of English land (n.). The -d perhaps mistaken for an affix and dropped. Sense of "grassy ground kept mowed" first recorded 1733.

n.2

"thin linen or cotton cloth," early 15c., probably from Laon, city in northern France, a center of linen manufacture. The town name is Old French Lan, from Latin Laudunum, of Celtic origin.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper