lawn
nounverbnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//lɔːn//
- Australia//loːn//
- //lɔn//
- //lɑn//
Ground (generally in front of or around a house) covered with grass kept closely mown.
noun
- 1
Ground (generally in front of or around a house) covered with grass kept closely mown.
Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path[…]. It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights. 'Twas the house I'd seen the roof of from the beach.
(1) Higher rates for land uses which are a significant source of nutrient inputs to the Lakes, eg. turf farms. Or again, other things equal, high density housing with less lawn would be preferred to estates with medium density and rates structure could be adjusted accordingly.
- 2
historicalAn open space between woods.
- 3
An overgrown agar culture, such that no separation between single colonies exists.
Etymology
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.
verb
- 1
To furnish with a lawn.
By opening all the arches of the several apartments […], by lawning the area within, and by a judicious use of ivy where any blank spaces require to be broken, or any deformities concealed, this might be made a beautiful and singular scene; […]
noun
- 1
A type of thin linen or cotton fabric tightly woven of fine threads. (Traditionally expensive and luxurious in centuries past.)
Two hundred Sempſtreſſes were employed to make me Shirts, and Linen for Bed and Table, all of the ſtrongeft and coarſeſt kind they could get; which, however, they were forced to quilt together in ſeveral Folds, for the thickeſt was ſome degrees finer than Lawn.
The stream had trickled over her chin and stained the purity of her lawn death robe.
He looked through the glass at the fire, set it down on the end of the desk and wiped his lips with a sheer lawn handkerchief.
- 2
Pieces of this fabric, especially as used for the sleeves of a bishop.
- 3
obsoleteA piece of clothing made from lawn.
[…] she was as the wild yoncopin to the calla lily. Marjie knew how to dress. To-day, shaded by the buggy-top, in her dainty light blue lawn, with the soft pink of her cheeks and her clear white brow and throat, she was a most delicious thing […]
Etymology
Apparently from Laon, a French town known for its linen manufacturing, from Old French Lan, from Latin Laudunum, a Celtic name cognate with Lugdunum.
Forms
- plural
- lawns
- past tense
- lawned
- past participle
- lawned
- present participle
- lawning
- third person singular
- lawns
lawn · Ground (generally in front of or around a house) covered with grass kept closely mown.
Lawn · A town in Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.Lawrence · A male given name from Latin, the usual spelling of Laurence…laws · The police.