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

An American black bear walks through a meadow at Cameron Cove, in Barnard Harbor, Princess Royal Island, British Columbia, Canada, in a file photo. —Ahmad Mukhtar, CBS News, 13 May 2026

Tucked within the famous wildflower meadows of Paradise is a view of Mount Rainier (the national park is one of our favorite Seattle day trips) and the sprawling Nisqually Glacier that forms the volcano's south side. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026

That mismatch is killing some of the planet’s most vital ecosystems, including California’s towering redwoods and the seagrass meadows along its coast, both of which store vast amounts of carbon and support complex webs of life. —Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2026

Graubünden routes climb into alpine meadows and rock gardens where the payoff is mountain flora and wildlife sightings. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 11 May 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