meadow

noun

mead·​ow ˈme-(ˌ)dō 

often attributive

: land that is covered or mostly covered with grass

wildflowers blooming in the meadow

especially : a tract of moist low-lying usually level grassland

meadowy

ˈme-də-wē 

adjective

Examples of meadow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dogs run freely in the green meadows and forests, where the smell of cooking fires lingers in the air and cottonwood seeds blanket dirt roads crisscrossing the site. —Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026

In his mind’s eye, the 68-year-old former rancher sees a meadow that once rippled with ribbons of grass, on which black Brangus cows feasted but are here no more. —Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 26 Mar. 2026

Deep meadows lush with vibrant prairie bluebells, gushing water, and resplendent valleys snuggled between giant, slate grey walls top off this classic adventure. —Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026

About two hours away, Hotel Nesslerhof, in Hohe Tauern National Park, offers more than 400 kilometers of hiking and biking trails through alpine meadows, lakes and traditional mountain huts. —Ramona Saviss, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English medwe, medowe "grassland kept for hay, pasture field," going back to Old English mǣdwe, oblique singular case form of mǣd, going back to West Germanic *mēdwō- (whence also Old Frisian mēde "pasture, meadow," Middle Dutch māde, mēde), noun derivative from the verbal base *mē- "reap, mow" — more at mow entry 2

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing meadow

• meadow beauty
• meadow fescue
• meadow grass
• meadow mushroom
• meadow nematode
• meadow rue
• meadow saffron
• meadow spittlebug
• meadow vole
• water meadow

Rhymes for meadow

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

meadow

noun

mead·​ow ˈmed-ō 

: an area of moist low usually level grassland