- [countable] an area of public land in a town or a city where people go to walk, play and relax
- Hyde Park
- in the park We went for a walk in the park.
- A public park will be built around the complex.
- a park bench
- the park entrance/gates
Culture parksparksBritish towns and cities have at least one municipal park, where people go to relax, lie in the sun, have picnics, walk their dogs and play games. Most US city and town governments also provide parks. They are open to anybody free of charge. The most famous parks in Britain include Hyde Park and Regent's Park in London. In the US, New York's Central Park is the best known. Open-air events, such as plays and concerts, are sometimes held in these parks.Most British parks were created in the 19th century, when more people moved into the towns. Some still have a rather old-fashioned, formal atmosphere, with paths to walk on, seats or benches, tidy lawns, flower beds and trees. There are sometimes signs that say: ‘Keep off the grass’. A few parks have a bandstand, a raised platform on which brass bands play occasionally during the summer. Most parks are protected by fences and gates which are locked each evening.Many parks have a children's playground with swings and roundabouts. Larger parks have a sports field, tennis courts and sometimes a boating lake. In the US softball diamonds are marked on the grass and in Britain there are goalposts for football. Large parks may have picnic tables and, in the US, barbecues . In the US it is usually illegal to drink alcohol in a park.In the UK there are country parks, large areas of grass and woodland , where people can go for long walks. Some country parks charge people to go in. Many have nature trails where people can see interesting plants, birds or animals. National parks, such as Snowdonia in Wales, are areas of great beauty protected by the government. In the US there are both state parks and national parks. Many provide a safe place for wild animals to live.Extra Examplessee also country park, forest park, national park, royal park- They go to the park most Sunday afternoons.
- We met in Central Park.
- a cafe overlooking the park
- I work as a ranger in the city's park system.
- a park managed by the Department of Parks and Recreation
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- local
- neighbourhood/neighborhood
- city
- …
- go to
- visit
- design
- …
- bench
- entrance
- boundary
- …
- at a/the park
- in a/the park
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- [countable] (in compounds) an area of land used for a particular purpose
- a business/science park
- a wildlife park
- a park ranger
- She lives in a trailer park in Tucson, Arizona.
Extra Examples- The lion was shot dead by a park ranger.
- an indoor park for skateboarders
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- local
- neighbourhood/neighborhood
- city
- …
- go to
- visit
- design
- …
- bench
- entrance
- boundary
- …
- at a/the park
- in a/the park
- [countable] (in the UK) an area of land, usually with fields and trees, attached to a large country house
- The cottage is set within the park of a country house.
- The houses and parks in Georgian Sussex represented leisured society at its peak.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- local
- neighbourhood/neighborhood
- city
- …
- go to
- visit
- design
- …
- bench
- entrance
- boundary
- …
- at a/the park
- in a/the park
- [countable] (North American English) a piece of land for playing sports, especially baseball
- With a mighty swing he hit the ball right out of the park.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- local
- neighbourhood/neighborhood
- city
- …
- go to
- visit
- design
- …
- bench
- entrance
- boundary
- …
- at a/the park
- in a/the park
- the park[singular] (British English) a football (soccer) or rugby field
- the fastest man on the park
- [uncountable] the position of the gears in a car with automatic transmission (= a system that changes the gears by itself so the driver does not have to) in which they are locked so that the engine cannot send any power to the wheels
- She put the car in park, pulled out the key and got out.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French parc, from medieval Latin parricus, of Germanic origin; related to German Pferch ‘pen, fold’, also to paddock. The word was originally a legal term designating land held by royal permission for keeping game animals: this was enclosed and therefore distinct from a forest or chase, and (also unlike a forest) had no special laws or officers. A military sense ‘space occupied by artillery, wagons, stores, etc., in an encampment’ (late 17th cent.) is the origin of the verb sense (mid 19th cent.) and of sense (2) (early 20th cent.).
Idioms
See park in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee park in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englisha walk in the park
- (informal) a thing that is very easy to do or deal with
- The role isn't exactly a walk in the park.
- The next game will be a walk in the park.
Check pronunciation:
park