graveyard

grave-yard · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A burial ground, especially one beside a church.

  2. 2.

    A place where old or discarded things are left (figurative).

Forms

plural: graveyards

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    graveyard shift — a work shift that runs through the night, typically from midnight to 8 a.m.
  • •
    graveyard humor — humor about death and dying; dark comedy
  • •
    whistling past the graveyard — pretending not to be afraid

Related words

See also: cemetery, churchyard, grave
Synonyms: burial_ground, cemetery, churchyard

Etymology

Compound of Old English græf ("grave") + geard ("yard, enclosure"). The term emerged in the early 19th century.