garden

1 of 3

noun

gar·​den ˈgär-dᵊn How to pronounce garden (audio)
plural gardens
1
a
: a plot of ground where herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables are cultivated
b
: a rich well-cultivated region
c
: a container (such as a window box) planted with usually a variety of small plants
2
a
: a public recreation area or park usually ornamented with plants and trees
a botanical garden
b
: an open-air eating or drinking place
c
: a large hall for public entertainment
gardenful noun

see also garden apartment, garden level

garden

2 of 3

verb

gardened; gardening ˈgär-də-niŋ How to pronounce garden (audio)
ˈgärd-niŋ

intransitive verb

: to lay out or work in a garden

transitive verb

1
: to make into a garden
2
: to ornament with gardens

garden

3 of 3

adjective

1
: of, relating to, used in, or frequenting a garden
a garden gate
a garden hose
garden pests
2
: of a kind typically grown in gardens
garden phlox
also : suitable for growth in an outdoor garden especially due to hardiness
garden chrysanthemums
3
: commonly found : garden-variety

Examples of garden in a Sentence

Noun We planted a small garden in our backyard. They were sitting out in the back garden.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In addition, the three- and four-bedroom homes are set into a dramatic hillside and offer 21,500 square feet of landscaped gardens. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 30 Nov. 2023 Musée de Montmartre is a tribute to the neighborhood’s artistic legacy: Both Renoir and French painter Suzanne Valadon made their studios there at one point, and the museum’s lush gardens offer magnificent views of the city and Clos Montmartre vineyard. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2023 The landscape encapsulates the classic Chinese park setting—a world within a garden. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Nov. 2023 Amid this vast multiplicity of life, a variety evident even within the intimate boundaries of a home garden, Renkl invites us to slow down and take it in, one small miracle at a time. Danny Heitman, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Nov. 2023 Kurkdjian beckons you to dream of a lush floral garden blanketed in snow, with notes of sweet-musky jasmine and ripe mango swirling in the air. Katie Chang, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 And Martian gardens will need a little help — maybe from black soldier fly larvae and their excretions. Sarah Scoles, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023 The redesign will also include new exhibition halls, cafes and gardens. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023 Kids can be inside and still see and smell the surrounding native sages and garden. Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023
Verb
Pransky, a Master Gardener since 2012, has gardened in San Diego for more than 30 years. Susan Pransky, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023 Someone is a musician, somebody is an artist, someone is gardening, and someone is breeding birds. Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2023 But mostly, gardening outside his home has been a dream come true for Reid. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2023 The purpose of the Native Garden Contest is to celebrate Towson community members who garden to support the environment, and teach the public about the environmental value of native plant and trees in our own yards, according to a news release. Katia Parks, Baltimore Sun, 8 Sep. 2023 Price at time of publish: $349 Gorilla Grip Extra Thick Kneeling Pad View On Amazon Whether your parent loves to garden or work in the garage, a kneeling pad is a great gift for protecting their knees. Jenna Clark, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2023 The couple drove there on weekends and evenings to garden, make repairs, replace a broken garbage disposal or an air conditioner, and check on their tenants. Charlotte Kramon, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2023 Suites are more than spacious, starting at 1,300 square feet, with marble bathrooms and a terrace or garden mere steps from the sand — a view only made better with a glass of fresh watermelon juice in hand. Alisha Prakash, Travel + Leisure, 2 July 2023 Pete had 10 years of experience as an executive chef and Jess loved to garden. Jessica Rodriguez, Journal Sentinel, 24 July 2023
Adjective
Wilma was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church, and a member of many social, civic and garden groups. Orlando Sentinel, OrlandoSentinel.com, 8 Feb. 2018 Garden categories include vegetables, fruit, flowers and miscellaneous items such as gourds, pumpkins and sunflowers. Courant Community, 29 Aug. 2017 Garden spaces are available from early May to November. Julie Washington, cleveland.com, 21 June 2017 Garden club member and garden walk chairperson Marci Stritch said the club has held annual garden walks for about 21 years. Ginger Brashinger, Daily Southtown, 21 June 2017 Garden Conservancy Day GLASTONBURY — On Saturday, June 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be four gardens open for viewing in Glastonbury. Courant Community, 19 June 2017 Garden program Learn about the Gable rhododendrons with garden expert Don Hyatt. Washington Post, 10 May 2017 Garden staples like spinach and some lettuce, for example, will stop growing the tasty leaves and shoot up a seed spire when the weather gets too hot. Roxie Hammill, kansascity.com, 29 Apr. 2017 Garden experts say to create a tent structure to drape a cover, or use a frost blanket, which is specially made for the job. Kieran Nicholson, The Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'garden.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gardyn, borrowed from Anglo-French gardyn, gardeyn, jardin, from Old French jart, (Picard and French Flanders) gart "garden" (going back to Old Low Franconian *garda- "enclosure, fence" going back to Germanic *garđa-, whence Old Saxon gard "garden, dwelling, world," Old High German gart "enclosure," Old English geard "fence, enclosure") + -in, probably adjective suffix (going back to Latin -īnus -ine entry 1), originally in Gallo-Romance *hortus gardīnus "enclosed garden" — more at yard entry 1

Verb

derivative of garden entry 1

Adjective

Middle English gardyn, attributive use of gardyn garden entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1558, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of garden was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near garden

Cite this Entry

“Garden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garden. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

garden

1 of 3 noun
gar·​den ˈgärd-ᵊn How to pronounce garden (audio)
1
: a plot of ground where herbs, fruits, flowers, or vegetables are grown
2
a
: a public recreation area or park usually ornamented with plants and trees
a botanical garden
b
: an open-air eating or drinking place

garden

2 of 3 verb
gardened; gardening ˈgärd-niŋ How to pronounce garden (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
1
: to lay out or work in a garden
2
: to make into a garden

garden

3 of 3 adjective
1
: of, relating to, used in, or frequenting gardens
2
: of a kind grown under cultivation especially in the open
garden plants

More from Merriam-Webster on garden

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