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noun A1 Beginner Very common

garden

GAH-dn

Garden (noun) means an outdoor area, often next to a house, where flowers, vegetables, or other plants are grown. Example: “She spends every Sunday morning weeding the garden.”

noun
1
An outdoor area, often next to a house, where flowers, vegetables, or other plants are grown.
"She spends every Sunday morning weeding the garden."
"They grow tomatoes and herbs in a small garden behind the kitchen."
2
A public park or landscaped grounds open for people to walk through and enjoy.
"We had a picnic in the botanical gardens downtown."
"The palace gardens are open to visitors every afternoon."
verb
1
To grow and tend plants, especially as a hobby.
"He gardens most weekends when the weather is good."
"She took up gardening after retiring."
adj
1
Ordinary or unremarkable, as in the phrase "garden variety."
"It was just a garden variety cold, nothing serious."

How to Use Garden

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn area for growing plants, or the act of tending one; also used loosely to mean "plain, ordinary" in "garden variety."

Common mistake

In the UK "garden" usually means the whole plot around a house (what Americans call a "yard"); in US English "yard" is the general term and "garden" is specifically for planted areas.

Easily confused with
Common pairings
tend a garden garden variety vegetable garden garden party

Word Forms

gardened past tense, gardens plural, Gardens plural, gardens singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

She spends every Sunday morning weeding the _____.

Etymology

From Old French/Anglo-Norman gardin, ultimately from a Frankish word for a fenced enclosure — the same ancient root that gives English "yard".

Origin: Old French

Related Words

Rhymes for garden

See all rhymes for garden →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “garden” mean?

The word “garden” means an outdoor area, often next to a house, where flowers, vegetables, or other plants are grown. In plain terms, an area for growing plants, or the act of tending one; also used loosely to mean "plain, ordinary" in "garden variety.".

How do you pronounce “garden”?

“Garden” is pronounced GAH-dn (/ˈɡɑɹ.d(ə)n/ in IPA).

How do you use “garden” in a sentence?

Here is “garden” used in a sentence: “She spends every Sunday morning weeding the garden.”

What part of speech is “garden”?

Depending on how it is used, “garden” can be a noun, a verb and an adjective.

Where does the word “garden” come from?

The word “garden” comes from Old French. From Old French/Anglo-Norman gardin, ultimately from a Frankish word for a fenced enclosure — the same ancient root that gives English "yard".

Is “garden” a common word?

“Garden” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

How many meanings does “garden” have?

“Garden” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: an outdoor area, often next to a house, where flowers, vegetables, or other plants are grown.

What is the difference between a garden and a yard?

The words differ mostly by region. In British English, a "garden" is the planted outdoor area beside a house, whether or not it has flowers. In American English, that space is usually called the "yard," while "garden" is reserved for a spot specifically growing flowers or vegetables. Both describe the land around a home.

What are the types of garden?

There are many: flower gardens grown for colour, vegetable or kitchen gardens for food, herb gardens, rock gardens, and water gardens. On a larger scale, botanical gardens display plant collections for study, while ornamental and cottage gardens follow particular styles. Roof gardens and community allotments make use of limited space.

What is a garden used for?

Gardens serve many purposes: growing flowers, vegetables, fruit, and herbs, and providing a private outdoor space to relax, play, or entertain. They also support wildlife such as bees and birds, improve the look of a home, and give many people a rewarding hobby in planting and tending plants.

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Definitions: FreeDict original editorial