turf
gb/tˈɚf/ us/tˈɚf/
B2
English
~ 6900
gyep, műfű, műgyep, terület, felségterület, kidob, kirúg, kitesz, gyepszőnyeg, gyeptégla, lóversenyzés, lóversenyek világa, gyepszőnyeget fektet, tőzegtégla, tőzeg
NOUN
B2
1
gyep
B1
Usage pattern:
on the turf; lay turf on [an area]
Players slipped on the wet turf during the match.
A játékosok megcsúsztak a vizes gyepen a mérkőzés alatt.
They laid fresh turf in the backyard to create a new lawn.
Friss gyepszőnyeget fektettek le a hátsó kertben, hogy új pázsitot alakítsanak ki.
Please keep off the turf while the grass is growing.
Golfers are careful not to damage the turf when they swing.
The horse galloped across the soft turf of the field.
Learner examples
The boys played soccer on the green turf.
A fiúk a zöld gyepen fociztak.
We put new turf in our small garden.
Új gyepszőnyeget terítettünk le a kis kertünkben.
Do not walk on the turf near the sign.
The dog ran across the wet turf.
Workers are fixing the damaged turf on the field.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "turf" only means fake or artificial grass. In fact, it can refer to any grass-covered ground surface, whether natural or artificial. Use modifiers like "natural turf" or "artificial turf" if you need to be clear.
Meaning
grass-covered ground surface
Collocations
lay turf
|roll out turf
|soft turf
|football turf
|stretch of turf
|wet turf
Synonyms
grass (More general and common; does not always include the idea of the soil layer forming a surface.)
Antonyms
bare earth (Describes ground without grass or other covering, the opposite of grassy turf.)
Themes
environment
|sports
|home
|nature
|daily_life
Definition
The top part of the ground that has grass and soil, used as a surface to walk or play on, like a lawn or sports field.
The top layer of ground where grass and its roots grow, especially when seen as a surface for walking, playing sports, or as a lawn.
NOUN
B2
2
Usage pattern:
artificial turf; play on the turf
The stadium replaced its old grass with modern artificial turf.
A stadionban a régi füvet korszerű műfűre cserélték.
You need special shoes to play safely on turf.
A műfüvön való biztonságos játékhoz speciális cipő kell.
He fell during practice and got a painful turf burn on his knee.
Learner examples
Our school has an artificial turf field.
Az iskolánknak műfüves pályája van.
It is easier to clean turf than real grass.
A műfüvet könnyebb tisztítani, mint az igazi füvet.
The team prefers to play on turf in the winter.
These shoes are good for turf surfaces.
She slipped on the wet turf during the game.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "turf" always means artificial grass because of sports contexts. Remember that "turf" can be either real or artificial; say "artificial turf" when you want to be specific.
Meaning
synthetic grass-like sports surface
Collocations
artificial turf
|AstroTurf pitch
|indoor turf field
|turf burn
|turf shoes
|turf surface
Synonyms
artificial grass (More transparent for learners; explicitly states that the surface is not natural.)
Antonyms
natural grass (Highlights that the surface is real, living grass instead of synthetic material.)
Themes
sports
|technology
Definition
A man‑made floor that looks like grass and is used for sports or gardens instead of real grass.
A manufactured surface made from synthetic materials that imitates grass, used especially on sports fields and in outdoor areas instead of natural grass.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
3
terület
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s turf; on [someone]'s turf
Local gangs were fighting over drug‑dealing turf.
A helyi bandák a drogárusítási területért harcoltak.
He sees the new manager as a threat to his turf in the company.
Szerinte az új vezető fenyegetést jelent a cégen belüli felségterületére.
Journalists accused the agency of defending its turf instead of helping the public.
You're on my turf now, so we play by my rules.
The two departments have overlapping turf and often argue about who should handle projects.
Learner examples
The gang did not want other groups on their turf.
A banda nem akarta, hogy más csoportok megjelenjenek a területén.
He was angry because the new worker came onto his turf.
Dühös volt, mert az új dolgozó betolakodott a területére.
The sales team protected their turf from other teams.
You are on her turf, so please listen to her.
Two groups fought over turf in that area.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this meaning is only about physical land. In modern English, "turf" in this sense is often about markets or responsibilities, for example "political turf" or "academic turf".
Meaning
someone's territory or area
Collocations
on his turf
|invade their turf
|protect their turf
|lose turf
|gang turf
|sales turf
Synonyms
territory (More formal and neutral; lacks the strong informal, sometimes aggressive feel of "turf".)
Antonyms
neutral ground (Suggests an area not controlled by any one person or group, opposite to a claimed turf.)
Themes
social
|business
|crime
|relationships
Definition
A place or area of work that a person or group feels belongs to them and that they want to control or protect.
An area, market, or field of activity that a person, group, or organization regards as their own territory, influence, or responsibility and wants to protect from others.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
turf [someone] out (of [a place]); turf [something] out
The landlord finally turfed them out for not paying the rent.
A főbérlő végül kitette őket, mert nem fizették a bérleti díjat.
Security turfed the drunk fan out of the stadium.
A biztonságiak kidobták a részeg szurkolót a stadionból.
They turfed him out of the company after the scandal.
I spent the weekend turfing old junk out of the garage.
She was turfed off the team after missing too many practices.
Learner examples
The club turfed him out because he was rude.
A klub kidobta, mert udvariatlan volt.
The teacher did not turf the students out; she let them stay.
A tanár nem dobta ki a diákokat; hagyta, hogy maradjanak.
They were turfed out of the hotel after they broke the rules.
I need to turf these old shoes out of my cupboard.
The boss turfed her off the project.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse "turf out" with "turn out" or "take off". "Turf out" always has the idea of forcing someone or something to leave or be removed, often informally and a bit roughly.
Meaning
to force someone to leave
Collocations
turf someone out
|turf them out of [a place]
|turf her off the team
|turf the tenants out
|turf old clothes out
Synonyms
evict (More formal and legal; usually used for removing someone from property by law.)
Antonyms
take in (Means to allow or welcome someone into a place or group, opposite of forcing them out.)
Themes
social
|work
|daily life
|relationships
Definition
To make a person or thing go out of a place or job, usually quickly and not kindly.
To make someone leave a place, job, or situation, often suddenly or unkindly, by ordering or pushing them out.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
gyepszőnyeg
B2
gyeptégla
C1
Usage pattern:
a strip of turf; lay turf on [an area]
They ordered several rolls of turf to create a new lawn.
Több tekercs gyepszőnyeget rendeltek, hogy új pázsitot alakítsanak ki.
Workers cut away the old turf before installing the patio.
A munkások eltávolították a régi gyepszőnyeget, mielőtt kialakították a teraszt.
A few pieces of turf were missing, leaving bare patches on the pitch.
Learner examples
We bought turf to cover the garden quickly.
Gyepszőnyeget vettünk, hogy gyorsan befedjük a kertet.
The man cut turf and put it on the path.
A férfi gyeptéglákat vágott ki, és lerakta őket az ösvényre.
They laid new turf after fixing the ground.
She lifted the turf to plant some flowers.
A strip of turf came loose in the storm.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that in this sense, "turf" is countable when talking about individual pieces ("three rolls of turf"), but uncountable when talking about a general covering ("lay some turf").
Meaning
cut piece of grass and soil
Collocations
strip of turf
|roll of turf
|lift the turf
|cut turf
|patch of turf
|lay new turf
Synonyms
sod (Very close in meaning; more common in North American gardening and construction contexts.)
Antonyms
topsoil (Refers just to the soil layer, not including a bound, grass-covered piece ready to lay.)
Themes
home
|gardening
|construction
|housing
|nature
Definition
A piece or layer of grass with thin soil under it, used to make or repair a lawn or field.
A piece or continuous layer of grass and the soil held together by its roots, cut or grown to be used for covering ground, such as for lawns or playing fields.
NOUN
C1
6
Usage pattern:
the turf; on the turf; retire from the turf
He made his name on the turf as a top jockey.
Élvonalbeli zsokéként a lóversenyzés világában szerzett nevet magának.
Scandals have damaged public trust in the turf in recent years.
Az elmúlt évek botrányai megrendítették a közbizalmat a lóversenyzés iránt.
Several legends of the turf attended the ceremony at the racecourse.
Learner examples
He spent his life on the turf as a trainer.
Trénerként az egész életét a lóversenyzésben töltötte.
She writes about the turf for a sports magazine.
Egy sportmagazinnak ír a lóversenyek világáról.
Big money moves through the turf every weekend.
Many people who love the turf meet at this club.
He became a star of the turf after many wins.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "turf" here just means the grass of the racecourse. In this fixed use, "the turf" refers to the whole world and business of horse racing, not only the ground.
Meaning
the horse-racing world
Collocations
the world of the turf
|hero of the turf
|on the turf
|legend of the turf
|turf journalist
|turf club
Synonyms
horse racing (Directly names the sport; "the turf" is slightly more literary or traditional.)
Antonyms
the trackless world (Used here conceptually as life outside the horse‑racing scene, contrasting with the specialized world of the turf.)
Themes
sports
|gambling
|finance
Definition
The sport and business of horse racing and betting, seen as a special world.
The activity, industry, and culture of horse racing and betting, considered as a particular world or field of sport.
VERB
C1
7
Usage pattern:
turf [an area]; turf over [an area]
They decided to turf the entire backyard instead of planting seed.
Úgy döntöttek, hogy magvetés helyett az egész hátsó kertben gyepszőnyeget fektetnek.
The developer agreed to turf the new play area before opening it.
A beruházó vállalta, hogy a megnyitás előtt gyepszőnyeget fektet az új játszóterületen.
Once the patio was finished, the remaining ground was turfed over.
Learner examples
We will turf the garden in spring.
Tavasszal gyepszőnyeget fektetünk a kertben.
The city plans to turf the small park.
A város azt tervezi, hogy gyepszőnyeggel borítja a kis parkot.
Workers turfed the empty ground behind the house.
They turfed the area after building the wall.
The newly turfed lawn looks very green.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the informal verb meaning "to turf someone out". Here, the verb takes an area of ground as its object, not a person.
Meaning
to cover ground with turf
Collocations
turf the garden
|turf the slope
|newly turfed lawn
|turf over the area
|turfed front yard
Synonyms
sod (Often used in North American English as "sod a lawn"; slightly more common there than "turf" as a verb.)
Antonyms
strip (As in "strip the lawn" or "strip the turf", meaning to remove grass from the ground, the opposite of covering it.)
Themes
home
|gardening
|construction
|housing
|daily_life
Definition
To put pieces of grass and soil on the ground to make a lawn or grass surface.
To cover an area of ground with pieces or rolls of turf in order to create a lawn or grass surface.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
8
tőzegtégla
C1
tőzeg
B2
Usage pattern:
cut turf; stack turf; burn turf
A sweet smell of burning turf drifted from the cottage chimney.
Az égő tőzeg édeskés illata szállt ki a házikó kéményéből.
They spent the afternoon cutting turf on the bog.
Délután tőzeget vágtak a tőzeglápon.
Stacks of turf were drying in the weak autumn sun.
Learner examples
They burned turf to heat the small house.
Tőzeggel fűtötték a kis házat.
Men were cutting turf in the wet field.
Férfiak tőzeget vágtak a vizes mezőn.
He carried a bag of turf into the kitchen.
Old turf fires are common in that village.
We saw stacks of turf beside the road.
Meaning
peat block used as fuel
Collocations
cut turf
|stacked turf
|turf fire
|load of turf
|burning turf
|bag of turf
Synonyms
peat (General word for the organic material; "turf" here is specifically the cut fuel pieces, and is regionally marked (e.g., Ireland).)
Antonyms
coal (Another solid fuel; functionally similar but made from different material, sometimes contrasted with turf in rural contexts.)
Themes
energy
|rural_life
|nature
|daily_life
Definition
A block of dark, wet earth (peat) that is cut, dried, and then burned for heat.
A block or piece of peat cut from the ground and dried to be burned as fuel, especially in some rural and regional varieties of English.
Grammar
Dictionary form
turf
IPA
GB/tˈɚf/
US/tˈɚf/
Syllables & stress
turf (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (turf)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: turf
- Plural: turf, turfs, turves
Verb
- Base: turf
- 3rd Person Singular: turfs
- Present Participle: turfing
- Past: turfed
Word family
Forms
turfs
noun
turves
noun
turfing
verb
turfed
verb
Related words
turfgrass
noun
Advanced or less common
turfy
adjective
Expressions
home turf
1/hˈoʊm tˈɚf/
fixed phrase
place where you feel strongest
A place or area where someone feels comfortable and strong because they know it well or control it.
Examples
- The team is hard to beat on their home turf.
- The interview was held on his home turf, in his own office.
- She prefers to negotiate on home turf, where she knows everyone.
on someone's turf
2/ˈɔn sˈʌmwˌʌnz tˈɚf/
fixed phrase
informal
in another's territory or field
In a place or area of activity that another person or group controls or knows best.
Examples
- We were negotiating on their turf, not ours.
- Be careful what you say; you’re on the boss’s turf here.
- The visiting team looked nervous playing on their rivals’ turf.
turf someone off
3/tˈɚf sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
informal
remove someone from a group
To stop someone being part of a team, activity, or list, usually suddenly and without kindness.
Examples
- They turfed him off the committee after he missed too many meetings.
- She was turfed off the course for cheating.
- Several players were turfed off the squad before the final game.
turf someone out
4/tˈɚf sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
force a person to leave
To make someone leave a place or job, usually suddenly and not kindly.
Examples
- The club turfed him out after the argument.
- If you keep causing trouble, they’ll turf you out of the flat.
- She was turfed out of her position with no warning.
turf war
5/tˈɚf wˈɔɹ/
idiom
conflict over control of territory
A fight or strong competition between groups who both want to control the same place or area of business.
Examples
- Police say the shootings are part of a turf war between rival gangs.
- The merger triggered a turf war between departments inside the company.
- Local politicians are engaged in a quiet turf war over funding.