lawnmower

IPA/ˈlɔːnməʊə(r)/
KK[lˈɔnmoɚ]IPA/ˈlɔːnməʊər/

lawnmower — noun

  • lawnmowersingular
  • lawnmowersplural

1. a piece of equipment with spinning blades that you push or ride on to cut grass

1.nounB1
Definition

a piece of equipment with spinning blades that you push or ride on to cut grass in a garden or park so that it stays short and neat.

Example

Chidi pushed the lawnmower across the front garden on Saturday morning.

push + lawnmower (direct object)

The lawnmower that Ignacio bought last spring needs new blades.

Common collocations
  • electric lawnmower
  • petrol lawnmower
  • push lawnmower
  • ride-on lawnmower
  • robot lawnmower
  • start a lawnmower
  • use a lawnmower
  • push a lawnmower
  • mower blade
  • lawnmower repair
Synonyms
  • mower

    shortened form, very common in everyday casual speech and writing

Grammar Patterns

a/the lawnmower

[adjective] lawnmower

Usage Note

Lawnmower is a countable noun and must be used with an article (a / the) or a determiner in most contexts.

Common Mistakes

I cut the grass with lawnmower.
I cut the grass with a lawnmower.
countable nouns require an article or determiner.
I borrowed my neighbour's lawn mower.
I borrowed my neighbour's lawnmower.
modern standard spelling is one word.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Lawnmower is the standard, most precise term for a wheeled machine that cuts grass on lawns. Mower is a common shortening used in casual conversation ('the mower broke again') and can also appear in compounds like 'ride-on mower' or 'cylinder mower'. Grass cutter is a more general term that can include handheld tools or even animals (goats used for weed control), so it is less precise than lawnmower. Strimmer (or trimmer) refers to a handheld machine that uses fast-spinning nylon line rather than blades—it is used for edges and tight spots, not for mowing an entire lawn. Use lawnmower when you need to be clear about the specific machine; use mower in everyday talk where the context is obvious.

mower ↗grass cutterstrimmer

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • use a lawnmower
  • push a lawnmower
  • ride a lawnmower
  • start a lawnmower
  • turn off the lawnmower
  • repair a lawnmower
  • store a lawnmower

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishOld EnglishEnglish

Lawnmower is a compound of lawn and mower. Lawn comes from the Middle English laune, likely from Old French launde meaning 'heath, woodland glade'. Mower comes from the Old English verb māwan ('to cut grass or grain'). The word lawnmower first appeared in the mid-1800s when the first mechanical grass-cutting machines were invented, originally spelled as two words (lawn mower) before becoming a single compound word in modern English.