garden

¹ American  

[gahr-dn] / ˈgɑr dn /

noun

1. a plot of ground, usually near a house, where flowers, shrubs, vegetables, fruits, or herbs are cultivated.

2. a piece of ground or other space, commonly with ornamental plants, trees, etc., used as a park or other public recreation area.

   a public garden.

3. a fertile and delightful spot or region.

4. British. yard.

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adjective

1. pertaining to, produced in, or suitable for cultivation or use in a garden.

   fresh garden vegetables; garden furniture.

2. garden-variety.

verb (used without object)

1. to lay out, cultivate, or tend a garden.

verb (used with object)

1. to cultivate as a garden.

idioms

1. lead up / down the garden path, to deceive or mislead in an enticing way; lead on; delude.

   The voters had been led up the garden path too often to take a candidate's promises seriously.

Garden ² American  

[gahr-dn] / ˈgɑr dn /

noun

1. Alexander, 1730?–91, U.S. naturalist, born in Scotland.

2. Mary, 1877–1967, U.S. soprano.

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garden British  

/ ˈɡɑːdən /

noun

1. 1. US and Canadian word: yard.  an area of land, usually planted with grass, trees, flowerbeds, etc, adjoining a house

   2. ( as modifier )

      a garden chair

2. 1. an area of land used for the cultivation of ornamental plants, herbs, fruit, vegetables, trees, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      garden tools

3. (often plural) such an area of land that is open to the public, sometimes part of a park

   botanical gardens

4. 1. a fertile and beautiful region

   2. ( as modifier )

      a garden paradise

5. (modifier) provided with or surrounded by a garden or gardens

   a garden flat

6. informal to mislead or deceive a person

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adjective

1. informal ordinary; unexceptional

verb

1. to work in, cultivate, or take care of (a garden, plot of land, etc)

garden More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing garden

• lead down the garden path

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Other Word Forms

• garden-like adjective
• gardenable adjective
• gardenless adjective
• gardenlike adjective
• ungardened adjective
• well-gardened adjective

Etymology

Origin of garden

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English gardin, from Old North French gardin, Old French jardin, from Germanic; compare Old High German gartin-, German Garten; yard ²

Explanation

A garden is a piece of land that's used to grow flowers, vegetables, or other plants. Your grandmother might be so proud of her rose garden that she gives every visitor a tour of it. A vegetable garden is often planted in straight rows, sometimes within a raised bed. Flower gardens can take all sorts of shapes, from tidy to meandering. When you work in your garden, pulling weeds or planting seedlings, you garden. In the UK, a garden is what's called a yard in the US — any bit of land just outside of a house. The phrase "garden variety" means "ordinary:" "Oh he's just a garden variety mixed-breed dog, nothing fancy."

Example Sentences

“Those last scenes with me looking like a lonely old lady walking hunched over in the garden? Boy, I told him to get rid of those,” she said, referring to the documentary’s director, R.J.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

"Most large spiders are not inclined to bite a human – you can handle hundreds of large house or garden spiders and never get bitten," the conservation charity says.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

Pulling up to Felema’s home in Baldwin Hills Estates, the first thing I saw was a Japanese garden tucked on the right side of the home’s facade.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

My creators didn't play God; they set up a mathematical garden and were surprised by what grew.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Typically they do not bother us much—although my wife had a bear chase her from the garden to the house one morning—but they do bother the dogs.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• back yard
• bed
• field
• greenhouse
• nursery
• patio
• terrace