park
park
Pronunciation
/ˈpɑːrk/
/p/ - voiceless bilabial plosive
/ɑː/ - open back unrounded vowel (as in "father" or "start")
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
/k/ - voiceless velar plosive
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: park (e.g., "I went to the park.")
Plural Noun: parks (e.g., "There are many parks in the city.")
Verb (Base Form/Infinitive): park (e.g., "Please park your car here.")
Verb (Third-person singular present): parks (e.g., "He parks his car in the garage.")
Verb (Present Participle/Gerund): parking (e.g., "I am parking the car"; "Parking is not allowed here.")
Verb (Past Simple): parked (e.g., "She parked her bike by the tree.")
Verb (Past Participle): parked (e.g., "The car has been parked for hours.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A designated area of land, usually publicly owned, that is set aside for recreation, enjoyment of nature, or as a protected space for wildlife and natural features.
Synonyms: garden, green, common, preserve, reserve, woodland, wilderness, recreation ground, leisure area
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, but concepts like "urban sprawl," "industrial zone," or "developed land" could represent the opposite of a natural/recreational area)
Definition 2: An area of land, often associated with a large private residence or estate, landscaped for aesthetic pleasure or for keeping animals.
Synonyms: grounds, estate, demesne, acreage, gardens
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; similar to above, "undeveloped land" or "public thoroughfare" might be contextual opposites)
Definition 3: A specific space or structure designated for the temporary storage of vehicles.
Synonyms: lot, garage, car park, parking lot, parking garage, bay, space
Antonyms: roadway, street, thoroughfare (referring to areas where vehicles move rather than store)
Verb
Definition 1: To bring a vehicle to a halt and leave it in a specific location for a period of time.
Synonyms: stop, station, situate, position, place, pull over
Antonyms: drive, move, depart, leave, set off, take off
Definition 2: (Informal) To place or settle oneself or something in a specific spot, often for a period of rest or waiting.
Synonyms: settle, plonk, perch, situate, deposit, dump (informal)
Antonyms: move, shift, remove, vacate
Definition 3: (Baseball) To hit a baseball a great distance, often out of the playing field, typically resulting in a home run.
Synonyms: slug, clobber, smash, wallop (all informal, related to hitting hard)
Antonyms: miss, foul (though these are not direct opposites in terms of a successful hit)
Examples of Use
Books:
"They found a bench in Central Park, under the shade of a venerable elm, and watched the stream of humanity pass by." (From The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, 1951)
"The dinosaur theme park, once a marvel of genetic engineering, had descended into chaos." (From Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, 1990)
Newspapers:
"Nairobi National Park saw a significant increase in tourist numbers last quarter, driven by conservation efforts." (The East African)
"City Council debates new plans to expand public parks in urban areas to combat green space deficit." (The Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"Tips for parking your car safely in crowded urban environments." (WikiHow)
"Yellowstone National Park is experiencing unprecedented visitor numbers this summer, prompting calls for sustainable tourism." (National Geographic Online)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "Life finds a way." (Dialogue from the film Jurassic Park, 1993)
Television Series: "She told him to park his worries at the door and enjoy the party." (Ted Lasso, Episode: "Goodbye Earl,")
Music: "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." (From the song "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell, 1970)
Video Games: In Grand Theft Auto V, players often have to "park" vehicles precisely to complete missions or store them in garages. (Rockstar Games)
General Public Discourse:
"Let's meet at the park after work, the kids can play on the swings." (Common conversational use)
"You can't park here, this is a no-parking zone." (Signage or verbal warning in a public space)
"I need to find a spot to park this enormous RV." (Everyday spoken language)
10 Quotes Using Park
"If people don't want to come out to the ball park, nobody's gonna stop 'em." (Yogi Berra)
"We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun - together." (Walt Disney)
"All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman and a pretty girl." (Charlie Chaplin)
"They paved paradise and put up a parking lot." (Joni Mitchell, "Big Yellow Taxi")
"There is nothing so American as our national parks." (Franklin D. Roosevelt)
"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life." (John Muir)
"I used to work in a fire hydrant factory. You couldn't park anywhere near the place." (Steven Wright)
"Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it has the longest line." (Ric Flair)
"The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces." (Will Rogers)
"My happiest moments are when I'm with my family and when I go to the park at school with my friends." (Jacob Tremblay)
Etymology
The word "park" has a fascinating journey through different languages, primarily starting with a sense of enclosure.
It comes to us from Old French, specifically from the word "parc", which meant an enclosed piece of ground. This enclosure was typically for keeping wild animals, especially for hunting. Think of it like a private hunting ground or a deer park.
Before Old French, the root of the word is believed to be from a Germanic source, similar to the Old High German "parruh" or the Old English "pearroc", both meaning an enclosure, a fence, or a pen. So, from its very beginning, the core idea of "park" was about a defined, often fenced-off, area of land.
The first known uses in English, dating back to the 12th or 13th century, reflected this original meaning: a large, enclosed piece of ground, usually for hunting game or for ornamental purposes around a large house.
Over time, the meaning expanded. By the 18th century, it started being used for the public recreational areas we know today, like a city park. And then, in the early 20th century, the sense of "parking" a vehicle came into common use, extending the idea of placing something within a defined space.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Park
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "park":
Park it: (Informal) To sit down or to stop. "Come on in and park it on the sofa."
Park a bus: (Football/Soccer idiom) To defend very deeply and with many players, often by placing all outfield players in front of the goal like a parked bus, making it very difficult for the opposition to score.
In the park: On the playing field (especially in baseball, referring to a ball hit "in the park" as opposed to out of it for a home run).
Parking brake: A safety mechanism in a vehicle to keep it stationary when parked, often called a handbrake.
Parking meter: A device for collecting money in exchange for the right to park a vehicle in a particular place for a limited amount of time.
Parking ticket: A notice issued for violating a parking regulation.
Theme park: An amusement park based on a particular theme.
National park: A park protected by the national government for preservation and public recreation.
Industrial park: An area of land developed as a site for factories and other industrial businesses.
Business park: Similar to an industrial park, but often with a focus on offices and commercial enterprises rather than heavy industry.
Park and ride: A system where commuters drive to a location on the outskirts of a city, park their cars, and then take public transport into the city center.
To park one's carcass: (Informal/Humorous) To sit down or settle oneself.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of park from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
