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rock garden

American  

noun

  1. a garden on rocky ground or among rocks, for the growing of alpine or other plants.

  2. a garden decorated with rocks, usually a wide variety of interestingly shaped, multicolored rocks, especially quartz.


rock garden British  

noun

  1. a garden featuring rocks or rockeries

"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

Etymology

Origin of rock garden

First recorded in 1830–40

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.

See Examples For:

The amenities scattered throughout the campus include a rock garden with a fake waterfall, a playground, a gym, an administration office, a senior center and a “moms cafe.”

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 24, 2025

They are shorter in stature with vivid-red single flowers, suited even to a rock garden.

From Seattle Times Sep. 28, 2022

She cultivated stunning new species of daffodils and introduced a striking alpine rock garden, with cascading streams and a fern grotto.

From BBC May 27, 2022

Two of her paintings frame scenes-within-scenes, including a Zen rock garden, inside a pair of hands.

From Washington Post Mar. 4, 2022

The others agreed, and, with Constance riding piggyback, they left the rock garden and walked across the empty plaza.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

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