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churchyard

American  
[church-yahrd] / ˈtʃɜrtʃˌyɑrd /

noun

  1. the yard or ground adjoining a church, often used as a graveyard.

churchyard British  
/ ˈtʃɜːtʃˌjɑːd /

noun

  1. the grounds surrounding a church, usually used as a graveyard

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of churchyard

1125–75; Middle English chirche yeard; church, yard 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When in London, some years ago, I went to the sexton of a churchyard and asked him if I could go among the graves at 12 o’clock at night.

From Literature

It must have been ten degrees cooler in the churchyard, though.

From Literature

In the early 19th century, Americans usually died at home and were buried in the local churchyard or on family-owned land.

From The Wall Street Journal

Martock Parish Council, which is responsible for upkeep and maintenance of the churchyard, which is now full, secured the site with safety barriers.

From BBC

He was told locals of an ancient village near Chepstow had awoken to find more than 50 holes mysteriously dug among the gravestones of their churchyard.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.