turf

1 of 2

noun

ˈtərf 

plural turfs ˈtərfs  also turves ˈtərvz 

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)

c

: grass sense 3

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

a

: peat sense 2

b

: a piece of peat dried for fuel

turfy

ˈtər-fē 

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

Synonyms

Verb

• banish
• boot (out)
• bounce
• cast out
• chase
• dismiss
• drum (out)
• eject
• expel
• extrude
• kick out
• oust
• out
• rout
• run off
• throw out
• turn 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

Sunday’s closing program will include the Grade III Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at one-mile for 2-year-olds on the turf and the ungraded, $100,000 Stormy Liberal Stakes, a five-furlong turf sprint for older horses. —Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Nov. 2023

The throw was one of his most memorable Sunday even though the ball traveled about one yard and straight into the Lambeau Field turf. —Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2023

In their home turf of Anatolia around 4,000 to 3,000 years ago, Hittite writers recorded state dealings and decrees, myths, rites, and religious rituals. —Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023

An owner ran to scoop an errant poop from the artificial turf with the intensity of a US Open ball boy. —Lauren Smiley, WIRED, 7 Nov. 2023

Injuries have most commonly happened this season on M&T Bank Stadium's grass field, U.S. Bank Stadium's turf and at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, which uses turf for NFL games. —Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023

By contrast, Democrats are hoping to make gains on less hospitable turf. —Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2023

It’s scheduled to be replaced by an all-weather turf field. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023

But attitudes among their rivals’ employees matter not just to the likes of Tesla, Nissan, Hyundai and Toyota — whose lower-cost workforces are a competitive advantage — but also to the UAW’s ambitions to grow its ranks on less favorable turf. —J.j. McCorvey, NBC News, 3 Oct. 2023

Verb

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

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. —Kathleen Ronayne, Fortune, 18 Nov. 2022

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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

Phrases Containing turf

• turf toe
• turf accountant
• surf and turf
• poach on someone's territory/turf
• turf out/off
• the turf
• turf war

• turf toe
• turf accountant
• surf and turf
• poach on someone's territory/turf
• turf out/off
• the turf
• turf war

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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)

c

: grass entry 1 sense 3

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