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.
Speers, from Bude, Cornwall, denied having items with intent to cause criminal damage and said he abandoned the idea to spray "Palestine" on the lawn by the time police approached him.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
The school also has a new lawn for recreation and instruction, along with stormwater capture features and solar-reflective basketball and handball courts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
These special permissions gave California the authority to regulate CO2 emissions and pollutants from cargo ships, oil tankers, fishing vessels, lawn mowers, chain saws, and more.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
The sprawling property has everything from standard rooms to stand-alone lake houses, plus indoor and outdoor pools, lawn games, basketball and pickleball courts.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
He looked at the bald spot he’d made in the lawn, an ugly eyesore, and stood up to retrieve the sod patches and pat them back down.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
