turf
noun · verb
Simple meaning
Grass and the soil under it.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
turfIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈtɝf
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots
uncountable
A layer of earth covered with grass; sod.
uncountablespecifically
A surface of synthetic fibers made to look like grass; artificial turf.
countable
A piece of such a layer cut from the soil. May be used as sod to make a lawn, dried for peat, stacked to form earthen structures, etc.
The territory claimed by a juvenile gang as its own
uncountableby extension
A person's domain or sphere of influence.
verb
Cover (the ground) with a surface layer of grass or grass roots
To cover with turf; to create a lawn by laying turfs.
informaltransitive
To expel, eject, or throw out; to turf out.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots
Used this way, turf is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use turf
- “A bureaucracy...chiefly concerned with turf...and protecting the retirement system.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Put out or expel from a place.
A bitter struggle for territory or power or control or rights.
Low densely tufted perennial herb of Turkey having small white flowers.
Asiatic perennial tufted herb with grasslike evergreen foliage and clusters of dark mauve grapelike flowers.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.