Lawnsod

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A section of turf grass that is cultivated and cut to provide a smooth, green surface for lawns or landscaping ; a pre-grown piece of grass and soil used for immediate lawn installation or repair ; an area of natural or artificial grass intended for decorative or recreational purposes in gardens and parks
2. A prepared strip of earth covered with growing grass designed to be laid down to form a lawn swiftly ; a block of grass and soil cultivated for transplanting onto garden grounds ; maintained turf used for aesthetic or functional outdoor spaces
3. A manageable turf piece with grass and soil that can be transplanted to create a lawn ; a unit of maintained grassland used in landscaping ; a flat grassy area provided by installing grounded, living vegetation for outdoor decoration or use

Etymology: Lawnsod is a compound of two English words, "lawn" and "sod," and its history is largely that of its parts. "Lawn" entered English in the 1500s, borrowed from Old French "launde," meaning a glade or open space in woodland, and it originally referred to that kind of clearing rather than to a cultivated grassy plot. "Sod" is much older, going back to Old English and Middle Dutch-related forms, and it has long meant a block of turf cut from the ground, with the grass and its roots intact. The compound follows the same logic: a lawn is a mown grassy area, and sod is the cut turf used to create one. Laying lawnsod means placing ready-grown turf rather than sowing seed. The term is largely American in use, where it is the common name for the product, while British English more often says "turf."

Synonyms: turf, grass turf, sod