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A lawn is an area of soil-covered land planted with grasses or (rarely) other durable plants such as clover
which are maintained at a short height with a lawnmower and used for aesthetic and recreational purposes.
Common characteristics of a lawn are that it is composed only of grass species, it is subject to weed and pest
control, it is subject to practices aimed at maintaining its green color (e.g., watering), and it is regularly
mowed to ensure an acceptable length,[1] although these characteristics are not binding as a definition.
Lawns are used around houses, apartments, commercial buildings and offices. Many city parks also have large
lawn areas. In recreational contexts, the specialised names turf, pitch, field or green may be used, depending
on the sport and the continent.

The term "lawn", referring to a managed grass space, dates to no earlier than the 16th century. Tied to suburban
expansion and the creation of the household aesthetic, the lawn is an important aspect of the interaction between
the natural environment and the constructed urban and suburban space.[2] In many suburban areas, there are
bylaws in place requiring houses to have lawns and requiring the proper maintenance of these lawns. In some
jurisdictions where there are water shortages, local government authorities are encouraging alternatives to lawns
to reduce water use.

Lawn is a cognate of llan which is derived from the Common Brittonic word landa (Old French: launde) that
originally means heath, barren land, or clearing.[3][4]

Origins

Lawns may have originated as grassed enclosures within early medieval settlements used for communal
grazing of livestock, as distinct from fields reserved for agriculture. The word "laune" is first attested in
1540,[5] and is likely related to the Celtic Brythonic word lan/llan/laun, which has the meaning of enclosure,
often in relation to a place of worship.

Lawns became popular with the aristocracy in northern Europe from the Middle Ages onward. The early lawns
were not always distinguishable from pasture fields. It is speculated that the association between the word
"pasture" and biblical mentions made lawns a cultural affinity for some. The damp climate of maritime Western
Europe in the north made lawns possible to grow and manage. They were not a part of gardens in other regions
and cultures of the world until contemporary influence.[6]

Before the invention of mowing machines in 1830, lawns were managed very differently. They were an element
of wealthy estates and manor houses, and in some places were maintained by the labor-intensive methods of
scything and shearing. In most situations, they were also pasture land maintained through grazing by sheep or
other livestock. Areas of grass grazed regularly by rabbits, horses or sheep over a long period often form a very
low, tight sward similar to a modern lawn. This was the original meaning of the word "lawn", and the term can
still be found in place names. Some forest areas where extensive grazing is practiced still have these seminatural
lawns. For example, in the New Forest, England, such grazed areas are common, and are known as lawns, for
example Balmer Lawn. Lawns similar to those of today first appeared in France and England in the 1700s when

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