turf

1 of 2

noun

plural turfs ˈtərfs How to pronounce turf (audio) also turves ˈtərvz How to pronounce turf (audio)
1
a
: the upper stratum of soil bound by grass and plant roots into a thick mat
also : a piece of this
b
: an artificial substitute for this (as on a playing field)
2
a
: territory that one considers to be under one's control
… a sea lion colony of 30 or more animals sleeping or fighting to protect their turf.Kerrie Waterworth
The assassination attempt served as a warning …. It … had the hallmark of the cartel staking out its turf, she [Gladys McCormick] said.Reuters
got caught in a turf war
b
: a frequently or habitually visited place : stomping ground
He grew up in Pennsylvania, in the small town of Shillington outside Reading, and seemed tickled to be returning to his old turf.Amy Gamerman
c
: territory sense 2
… would have to play two of the last three games on hostile turf.Joe Klein
In chapter two, the author is on unfamiliar turf.
also : a sphere of activity or influence
… people who could hurt him on his own foreign-policy turf. Wall Street Journal
If you can't compete directly, fight them outside of their turf. Target a different audience, or utilize channels that your competitors aren't currently touching. Timothy Carter
3
a
: a track or course for horse racing
b
: the sport or business of horse racing
4
b
: a piece of peat dried for fuel
turfy adjective

turf

2 of 2

verb

turfed; turfing; turfs

transitive verb

1
: to cover with turf
2
chiefly British : to eject forcibly : kick
usually used with out

Examples of turf in a Sentence

Noun a lawn made by laying turfs Synthetic turf was installed in the playing field instead of grass. playing fields with artificial turfs The team played on home turf.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Not their first meeting since the incident Vinícius did come up against Valencia on home turf at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu earlier this season, scoring twice in a 5-1 win in one of his best performances of the current campaign. Sam Leveridge, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Hutchins-Knowles said natural grass is cheaper over its life cycle than artificial turf. Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 This is not just some local turf war that can be arbitrated by some Pollyannaish naive do-gooders. Letters To The Editor, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 As word of her Dearborn visit spread on social media, some in that largely Arab American city, usually friendly political turf for Democrats, announced plans for a protest. Mitch Smith, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Since the 323 area code overran its original boundaries in 2017 to become an overlay throughout 213’s turf, people with 323 or 213 numbers have been required to dial all 10 digits of a phone number even when calling someone in the same area code. Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 Massacres and riots are getting more common in Ecuador because of the ongoing turf wars between drug traffickers. Karol Suárez, The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 For Howell, the subject of grass versus turf extends beyond the aesthetics of the game. Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024 Agencies have duplicated efforts, fought turf wars, and desperately wanted for better internal coordination. Nina Jankowicz, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2024
Verb
Those cracks couldn’t be concealed when VH was inducted into the Rock Hall class of 2007, when Hagar and Anthony, who had recently been turfed, were the only bandmates on hand to accept the honor. Lars Brandle, Billboard, 25 Jan. 2024 Usually we are meant to go for a fitting but end up having to be turfed out at the end of the day. Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 30 Sep. 2023 Part of the yard has been turfed and covered with a pergola and heaters. Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 13 Mar. 2023 Near the outset of the film, the Solés receive word that the landowners intend to turf them out, razing the orchards to make way for a solar power plant — the devastating final blow for a livelihood that was already struggling to compete with industrial produce farming. Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Feb. 2022 No matter how poignant or pointedly reworked, West Side Story is still high Hollywood fantasy: Where else outside of a sound stage can turf wars be resolved with a warbled melody and a kick-ball-change? Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 2 Dec. 2021 The first phase of the project will include converting many of the sports fields to turf to allow for less interruption of play due to weather conditions and overuse. Dallas News, 23 Nov. 2022 All grills brought to the park must remain on a hard surface, not turf. Dallas News, 27 June 2022 The grass-removal pledge targets turf that people don't work on, like in front of strip malls, in street medians or at the entrance to neighborhoods. Sam Metz and Kathleen Ronayne, USA TODAY, 19 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'turf.' 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, from Old English; akin to Old High German zurba turf, Sanskrit darbha tuft of grass

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of turf was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near turf

Cite this Entry

“Turf.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turf. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

turf

noun
ˈtərf
1
a
: the upper layer of soil bound by grass and plant roots into a thick mat
also : a piece of this
b
: an artificial substitute for turf (as on a playing field)
2
: the sport or business of horse racing
3
: an area or a place that is or is felt to be under one's control
on my own turf

More from Merriam-Webster on turf

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!