noun
meadow
MEHD-oh
noun
1
A grassy field, especially one grown or kept for grazing animals or for cutting as hay.
"The cows spent the afternoon grazing in the meadow."
"Wildflowers covered the meadow in early summer."
2
Low-lying grassland near a river or coast, often damp or marshy.
"The path wound through a meadow that flooded every spring."
verb
1
To grow or manage land as grass for hay.
"The farmer meadowed the lower field instead of ploughing it."
How to Use Meadow
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn open grassy field, usually one used for grazing or hay rather than crops.
Memory tip
Think of a meadow as softer and wilder than a "lawn" or "field" — often full of wildflowers and used for animals or hay rather than farming.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
a flower meadow
graze in the meadow
meadow grass
hay meadow
Word Forms
meadowed past tense, meadows plural, meadows singular
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The cows spent the afternoon grazing in the _____.
Etymology
From Old English mǣdwe, related to "mead" (as in the old word for a grassy field) and ultimately to an ancient root meaning "to mow or reap" — the same root behind the word "math" as in "aftermath" (literally a second mowing).