park

¹ American  

[pahrk] / pɑrk /

noun

1. an area of land, usually in a largely natural state, for the enjoyment of the public, having facilities for rest and recreation, often owned, set apart, and managed by a city, state, or nation.

2. an enclosed area or a stadium used for sports.

   a baseball park.

3. a considerable extent of land forming the grounds of a country house.

4. British. a tract of land reserved for wild animals; game preserve.

5. Western U.S. a broad valley in a mountainous region.

6. a space where vehicles, especially automobiles, may be assembled or stationed.

7. amusement park.

8. theme park.

9. any area set aside for public recreation.

10. Military.

    1. the space occupied by the assembled guns, tanks, or vehicles of a military unit.

    2. the assemblage so formed.

    3. (formerly) the ammunition trains and reserve artillery of an army.

11. Automotive. a setting in an automatic transmission in which the transmission is in neutral and the brake is engaged.

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verb (used with object)

1. to place or leave (a vehicle) in a certain place for a period of time.

2. Informal. to put, leave, or settle.

   Park your coat on the chair. Park yourself over there for a moment.

3. to assemble (equipment or supplies) in a military park.

4. to enclose in or as in a park.

5. Informal. to invest (funds) in a stock, bond, etc., considered to be a safe investment with little chance of depreciation, as during a recession or an unstable economic period, or until one finds a more profitable investment.

6. Aerospace. to place (a satellite) in orbit.

verb (used without object)

1. to park a car, bicycle, etc.

2. Informal. to engage in kissing and caressing in a parked car.

Park ² American  

[pahrk] / pɑrk /

noun

1. Mungo 1771–1806?, Scottish explorer in Africa.

2. Robert E., 1864–1944, U.S. sociologist.

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park ¹ British  

/ pɑːk /

noun

1. a large area of land preserved in a natural state for recreational use by the public See also national park

2. a piece of open land in a town with public amenities

3. an area, esp of mountain country, reserved for recreational purposes

4. a large area of land forming a private estate

5. English law an enclosed tract of land where wild beasts are protected, acquired by a subject by royal grant or prescription Compare forest

6. an area designed and landscaped to accommodate a group of related enterprises, businesses, research establishments, etc

   science park

7. See amusement park

8. See car park

9. a playing field or sports stadium

10. informal a soccer pitch

11. a gear selector position on the automatic transmission of a motor vehicle that acts as a parking brake

12. the area in which the equipment and supplies of a military formation are assembled

13. a high valley surrounded by mountains in the western US

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verb

1. to stop and leave (a vehicle) temporarily

2. to manoeuvre (a motor vehicle) into a space for it to be left

   try to park without hitting the kerb

3. stock exchange to register (securities) in the name of another or of nominees in order to conceal their real ownership

4. informal (tr) to leave or put somewhere

   park yourself in front of the fire

5. (intr) military to arrange equipment in a park

6. (tr) to enclose in or as a park

Park ² British  

/ pɑːk /

noun

1. Mungo (ˈmʌŋɡəʊ). 1771–1806, Scottish explorer. He led two expeditions (1795–97; 1805–06) to trace the course of the Niger in Africa. He was drowned during the second expedition

2. Nick, full name Nicholas Wulstan Park. born 1958, British animator and film director; his films include A Grand Day Out (1992), which introduced the characters Wallace and Gromit, and the feature-length Chicken Run (2000)

3. Chung Hee. (ˈtʃʊŋ ˈhiː). 1917–79, South Korean politician; president of the Republic of Korea (1963–79); assassinated

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Other Word Forms

• overpark verb
• parker noun
• parklike adjective
• repark verb
• superpark noun
• unparked adjective
• well-parked adjective

Etymology

Origin of park

1225–75; Middle English (noun) < Old French parc enclosure < Late Latin *parricus < West Germanic *parruk ( paddock ¹ )

Explanation

A park is an outdoor green space that people use for recreation. People can also park a car, which is to pull into a parking space and stop. Just don’t park your car in a park. Unless you’re a squirrel. A city park usually has playgrounds, sports fields, walking paths, grass, and trees. There are also larger tracts of wild public land also known as parks, and these often have hiking trails, mountains, or bodies of water. Park is a verb too, meaning "drive into a parking space," so you could park your scooter at the park. Originally this verb referred exclusively to military vehicles, but by 1844 you could park any vehicle at all.

Example Sentences

Upon arrival, you will pay the $15 entrance fee to the park, and then be directed to a large parking area.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

One of Claude Mythos’ overseers posted on social media recently that he was having lunch in a park when Mythos emailed him — even though it’s not supposed to have access to the internet.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Organisers for the event, which was set to take place at London's Victoria Park across 12 to 14 June, said it had been rescheduled to "protect park conditions".

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

As aggression escalated, the factions drifted into separate areas of the park.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Glory nodded gravely as the bricks opened up once again to let them onto the park street.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

• estate
• forest
• garden
• lawn
• place
• playground
• plaza
• square