lawn

Other forms: lawns

A lawn is an area of ground that's planted with grass. Your next-door neighbor might be so overly proud of his tidy lawn that he stands on it, glaring at the dandelions growing in yours.

Most lawns are neatly mowed — a lawn that's allowed to grow tall might more accurately be called a field, especially if there are weeds or wildflowers mixed in with the grass. It's difficult to grow a lawn in places that don't get much rain, since it needs to be watered regularly to stay green and lush. Lawn was laune in the 1500s, meaning "open space between the woods," from the Old French lande, "heath, moor, or clearing."