garden
GAH-dn
Garden (noun) means an outdoor area, often next to a house, where flowers, vegetables, or other plants are grown. Example: “My grandad is proud of the roses he grows in his back garden.”
noun
1
An outdoor area, often next to a house, where flowers, vegetables, or other plants are grown.
"My grandad is proud of the roses he grows in his back garden."
"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.
"On sunny afternoons, families stroll through the public gardens near the river."
"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.
"She loves to garden in the evenings after a busy day at work."
"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."
"The film was a garden variety comedy with nothing new to offer."
"Most of these problems are garden variety glitches that a simple restart will fix."
"It was just a garden variety cold, nothing serious."
How to use garden
Learner’s notesIn 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
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Word forms
- Plural
- gardens
- Third person singular
- gardens
- Past tense
- gardened
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
My grandad is proud of the roses he grows in his back _____.
Etymology
From Old French/Anglo-Norman gardin, ultimately from a Frankish word for a fenced enclosure — the same ancient root that gives English "yard".
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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