lawn
1 Americannoun
-
a stretch of open, grass-covered land, especially one closely mowed, as near a house, on an estate, or in a park.
-
Archaic. a glade.
noun
noun
-
a flat and usually level area of mown and cultivated grass
-
an archaic or dialect word for glade
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
With everything from smart TVs to robot lawn mowers plugged into the internet, hackers have a vast new menu of targets to choose from.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026
It isn’t surprising that the first notable leader to make the leap in modern memory came from Cuba, an island you can reach from Florida with a suitably kitted-out lawn chair.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026
Towering over the threadbare lawn, Omeltchenko worked on what was the seat of the regional administration -- an imposing white stone Stalinist-era building almost completely razed by Russian strikes last year.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
There is also a playground and custom trampoline, while the upper lawn has previously been transformed into a temporary ice-skating rink.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026
“What did that lawn ever do to you?”
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
