English Reference
noun · verb

lawn

n. · v.
US /ˈɫɔn/ UK /lˈɔːn/ lawn UK spelling lawn's, lawn's

  1. 01 A2 Elementary

    n.an area of ground, usually near a house or in a park, covered with short grass that is cut regularly.

    n.an area of ground covered with grass kept closely mown, typically surrounding a residence or within a public park.

    Simple

    We spent the afternoon sitting on the lawn and enjoying the sunshine.

    In context

    The gardener spent several hours weeding the front lawn to ensure the grass remained perfectly uniform for the garden party.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Formal

    n.a very thin, light, and smooth cloth made from cotton or linen.

    n.a fine, plain-weave textile made from linen or cotton, characterized by its lightweight and semi-transparent quality.

    Simple

    The summer dress was made of a delicate white lawn that felt very cool.

    In context

    The historical costume featured sleeves made of fine cotton lawn, reflecting the high social status of the character.

    linencambric
  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    n.a thick layer of bacteria covering the entire surface of a laboratory dish.

    n.a continuous, uniform layer of bacteria growing on an agar surface, where individual colonies are no longer distinct.

    Simple

    The scientist checked the dish to see if a bacterial lawn had formed.

    In context

    The antibiotic sensitivity test requires a uniform bacterial lawn to accurately measure the zones of inhibition around the paper discs.

  4. 04 C1 Advanced Formal

    v.to cover an area of ground with grass to make a lawn.

    v.to plant or furnish a piece of land with a lawn. Transitive — requires a direct object.

    Simple

    They decided to lawn the entire backyard instead of planting flowers.

    In context

    The landscape architect proposed to lawn the central courtyard to provide a soft visual contrast to the stone walls.

Even ten minutes walking across a park lawn will improve your joint movement.

ScienceDaily· 16 Aug 2026

Plant a diverse range of native flowering species, and leave some areas of lawn unmown .

ScienceDaily· 29 Jul 2026

Etymology 1

Early Modern English laune (“turf, grassy area”), alteration of laund (“glade”), from Middle English launde, from Old French lande (“heath, moor”), of Germanic or Gaulish origin, from Proto-Germanic landą (“land”) or Proto-Celtic landā, both from Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ- (“land, heath”). Akin to Breton lann (“heath”), Old Norse & Old English land. Doublet of land and lande.

Etymology 2

Apparently from Laon, a French town known for its linen manufacturing, from Old French Lan, from Latin Laudunum, a Celtic name cognate with Lugdunum.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin ine-pro *lendʰ-
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated