Definition

1. Noun:

   • A large public green area: A piece of open land in a town or city, often with grass, trees, and paths, used for recreation and leisure.
   • An area for a specific activity or purpose: A designated area for parking vehicles, playing ball games, or preserving natural scenery and wildlife.
   • A gear position: In an automatic vehicle, a setting that locks the transmission to prevent the vehicle from moving.

2. Verb:

   • To leave a vehicle in a place temporarily: To maneuver and position a car, truck, or other vehicle in a designated spot and leave it there for a period of time.
   • To place something or someone temporarily: To leave an object or a person in a particular place for safekeeping or convenience.

Examples

• Noun:

  • We had a picnic in the park. (We ate our meal in the large public green area.)
  • He couldn't find a park near the office. (He couldn't find a parking space.)
  • Please remember to put the car in park before you turn off the engine. (Please select the gear position that acts as a brake.)

• Verb:

  • Can you park the van behind the building? (Can you leave the van in that location?)
  • I'll park my suitcase at the hotel desk until check-in. (I will leave my suitcase there temporarily.)

Advanced Usage

• "to park oneself": (informal) To sit down or position oneself in a place, often for a long time.

  • He just parked himself on the sofa and watched TV all day.

• "park it": (informal, often imperative) A command to sit down or to stop and stay in one place.

  • Hey kids, park it! Dinner is ready.

Variants and Related Words

• Parking (n): The action of parking a vehicle; space for vehicles to be parked.

  • The parking in this city is very expensive.

• Parkland (n): Open grassland with scattered trees; land used as or suitable for a park.

  • The estate includes acres of beautiful parkland.

• Amusement park (n): A large outdoor area with rides, games, and other entertainments.

• National park (n): A large area of natural land protected by the government for public enjoyment.

Synonyms

• Noun (green area): Garden, common, green, recreation ground.
• Verb (to leave a vehicle): Leave, station, position.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Park up: To park a vehicle, especially a large one like a truck or camper van.
  • The truck driver parked up for the night at the rest stop.

Related Idioms

• "A walk in the park": Something that is very easy to do.

  • After the last project, this new assignment will be a walk in the park.

• "No park, no play": (A modern, informal rule) Emphasizing that if you don't follow the parking rules, you cannot participate in the activity.

  • The school has a strict no park, no play policy for the pickup lane.

Noun

1. a gear position that acts as a parking brake
   • the put the car in park and got out
2. a lot where cars are parked
3. Scottish explorer in Africa (1771-1806)
4. a facility in which ball games are played (especially baseball games)
   • take me out to the ballpark
5. a piece of open land for recreational use in an urban area
   • they went for a walk in the park
6. a large area of land preserved in its natural state as public property
   • there are laws that protect the wildlife in this park

Verb

1. maneuver a vehicle into a parking space
   • Park the car in front of the library
   • Can you park right here?
2. place temporarily
   • park the car in the yard
   • park the children with the in-laws
   • park your bag in this locker