backyard

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bækˈjɑːd/ (UK)^[1]

Etymology

It is from English back + yard, also written back-yard.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A plot of ground at the rear of a house: the 1650s in Etymonline, perhaps from the early 15th century;^[2] Merriam-Webster dates it to 1618.^[3]

Semantic evolution

In Britain a backyard is usually a small paved area behind a house, in North America a back garden, often grassed.^[4][5] Informally it is also one's own neighbourhood, regarded with possessive concern, as in not in my backyard,^[4][6] and as an adjective it describes someone working unofficially from home, as a backyard mechanic.^[7]

Timeline

• 1618 – backyard (Merriam-Webster).^[3]
• 1650s – a yard behind a house.^[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. (British) A yard behind a house, often paved.
2. (North America) A garden behind a house.
3. (informal) The area close to where one lives, or one's own area of interest.

Adjective

1. Working unofficially or on a small scale from home: a backyard mechanic.

Related words

• back
• yard
• garden
• NIMBY

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
4. ^ a b Soanes, Catherine; Stevenson, Angus, eds. (2004), Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
5. ^ Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2009), 5th ed., Harlow: Pearson Longman
6. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
7. ^ The Chambers Dictionary (2008), 11th ed., Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap