Barnyard

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɑɹnˌjɑɹd/

Definitions

1. An area adjacent to a farm building where livestock are kept, farm equipment is stored, or agricultural work is performed
2. A space typically found on farms that accommodates livestock, housing structures, and tools for farming activities
3. A designated outdoor area associated with a farm where animals are raised, storage occurs, and farming operations take place

Etymology: "Barnyard" is about as transparent as English compounds get: a combination of "barn," the building in which crops and animals are stored, and "yard," an enclosed open space beside a building. Put together, the pair names the open ground around a farm building where livestock roam and farm work takes place. The interest lies in the two halves rather than the whole. "Barn" comes from Old English "bere-ern," literally "barley house," so the word began as a building for storing grain. "Yard" has a surprisingly similar history: in Old English "geard" meant an enclosure of any kind, and it is related to "garden" and "girdle," all sharing a sense of something hemmed in or fenced. The barnyard, then, is an enclosure attached to an enclosure, a fenced space defined by the grain store beside it.

Synonyms: stable, farmyard