Graveyard

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Graveyard

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

GRAYV-yard  /ˈɡreɪvjɑːd/

Definition

A burial ground, especially one beside or surrounding a church; a place where old, decommissioned, or failed things are collected or discarded.

Plain meaning

A graveyard is a burial ground — typically beside a church, with individual graves marked by stones. Figuratively, a graveyard of ideas or projects is a place where failed or abandoned things accumulate.

Register

Neutral and slightly solemn. Graveyard is natural in discussions of burial, historical research, and informal descriptions of atmospheric places. The figurative senses — graveyard of projects, graveyard shift — are common informal usage.