English Reference
noun · verb

park

n. · v.
US /ˈpɑɹk/ UK /pˈɑːk/ park

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    n.a public area with grass and trees where people go to walk, play, or relax.

    n.an area of land, often in a town or city, set aside for public recreation or environmental preservation.

    Simple

    We took the dog for a long walk in the park on Sunday afternoon.

    In context

    The municipal council allocated additional funding to maintain the urban park, ensuring the green space remained accessible to all residents during the summer.

  2. 02 B1 Intermediate

    n.an area used for a specific purpose, like business or industry.

    n.a designated area of land used for a specific commercial, industrial, or recreational purpose.

    Simple

    Many new technology companies have moved their offices to the business park.

    In context

    The industrial park was strategically located near the motorway to facilitate the rapid transport of manufactured goods across the region.

  3. 03 B1 Intermediate

    n.the setting in an automatic car that keeps it from moving.

    n.the transmission setting or gear in an automatic vehicle that locks the drive shaft, preventing the vehicle from moving.

    Simple

    Make sure the car is in park before you take your foot off the brake.

    In context

    The driver shifted the lever into park and engaged the emergency brake before exiting the vehicle on the steep incline.

  4. 04 B2 Upper Intermediate British EnglishDialect

    n.a place where you can leave your car.

    n.a specific space or spot designated for the storage of a vehicle.

    Simple

    It is very difficult to find a park near the city centre on a Saturday.

    In context

    After circling the block for twenty minutes, he finally spotted a vacant park just a few meters from the restaurant entrance.

  5. 05 A1 Beginner

    v.to stop a car and leave it in a particular place for a while.

    v.to bring a vehicle to a halt and leave it temporarily in a specific location.

    Simple

    You cannot park your car here because it is a private driveway.

    In context

    The courier was forced to park illegally on the pavement to complete the urgent delivery within the allotted timeframe.

  6. 06 B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    v.to sit down or put yourself somewhere for a long time.

    v.to sit, recline, or station oneself in a specific place, often with the intent to remain for a duration.

    Simple

    Just park yourself on the sofa while I go and make some tea.

    In context

    He decided to park himself in the library for the afternoon to finish the final chapter of his dissertation without distractions.

  7. 07 B2 Upper Intermediate InformalAcademic

    v.to stop dealing with a subject or idea for now and come back to it later.

    v.to defer or suspend consideration of a matter or project until a later time.

    Simple

    Let's park that discussion for now and focus on the main budget issues.

    In context

    The committee agreed to park the proposal regarding office renovations until the quarterly financial reports were fully audited.

  8. 08 C1 Advanced Technical Finance

    v.to put money into a safe investment while you wait for a better opportunity.

    v.to invest capital temporarily in a low-risk financial instrument while awaiting more lucrative opportunities.

    Simple

    They decided to park their savings in a high-interest account for a few months.

    In context

    Institutional investors often park their excess liquidity in government bonds during periods of high market volatility to preserve capital.

  9. 09 C1 Advanced Technical Computing

    v.to buy a website name but not put any content on it yet.

    v.to register an internet domain name without actively using it or providing content, often for future use or resale.

    Simple

    He bought the web address years ago but just decided to park it.

    In context

    The company chose to park several related domain names to prevent competitors from using similar branding in their marketing campaigns.


Etymology 1

From park.

Etymology 2

From Korean 박(朴) (Bak), under influence from Park and originally spelled and read from the perspective of the pronunciation of non-rhotic (e.g. British) English speakers.

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

This entry
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated