churchyard
(ˈtʃɜːtʃjɑːd)
Forms: 2 cyrceiærd, 3 chircheȝeard, 4–5 -ȝerd, 5 cherch-, chyrche-, churche-ȝerd, -ȝarde, 5–6 church-ȝerd, 6– churchyard.
[f. church + yard n.2: cf. the Sc. kirk-yard, and northern Eng. kirk-garth, church-garth. The stress is upon church already in Shakes.; yet we usually say St. Paul's Churchˈyard, with stress on yard, as always in Sc.]
1. The yard or enclosed piece of ground in which a church stands; formerly almost universally used as a burial ground for the parish or district, and still so used, esp. in rural districts.
| 1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1137. §4 Nouther circe ne cyrceiærd. a 1225 Ancr. R. 318 (MS. Titus) Eode in ring i chirche ȝeard. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xvi. 11 Ne corses of poure comune in here kirke-ȝerd [so 2 MSS., 3 have churche-; 2 chirche-]. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 75 Chyrcheȝarde [Pynson churcheyerde], cimitorium. 1512 Act 4 Hen. VIII, c. 2 §2 The Churche or Churchyerd or other place preveleged. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. ii. 100 The which at Touraine, in S. Katherine's Church-yard I chose forth. 1607 ― Cor. iii. iii. 51 Like Graues i'th holy Church⁓yard. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. Democr. to Rdr. 57 Separate places to bury the dead in, not in churchyards. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 419 ¶5 The Church-yards were all haunted. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 8 He..scarce could pass A church-yard's dreary mounds at silent night. |
† 2. A burial-ground generally; a cemetery. Obs.
| 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 98 The peple said to alexander that he was euer in the chircheyerd. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 92 The other..groweth commonly in church⁓yards among graues and tombs. 1678 Wanley Wond. Lit. World v. iii. §12. 474/1 Anicetus..was..buried in the Church-yard of Calistus. |
† 3. The precincts of a church; a cathedral close. Obs. rare. (Cf. St. Paul's Churchyard.)
| 1467 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 393 (Ordin. Worcester), The citezens dwelling w{supt}yn the churche yordes, or ffraunchesis aioynynge to this, the citee. 1577 Fletewoode in Ellis Orig. Lett. ii. ccii. III. 56 Here fell a mischaunce betwene two..men, and the on of them was killed in Powles churche yarde. |
4. Proverb.
| 1635 Swan Spec. M. (1670) 124 A hot Christmas makes a fat Churchyard. 1710 Brit. Apollo III. No. 106. 2/1 A Green Christmas makes a Fat Church-Yard. Mod. Sc. A green Yule and a white Pace, maks a toom kirk and a fou' kirk-yard. |
5. attrib. and in comb. churchyard cough, a cough symptomatic of approaching dissolution.
| 1602 Carew Cornwall (1811) 322 The curate..received him at the church yard style. 1693 W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. 379 A church-yard cough; the Phthisick or Tisick. 1702 Steele Funeral i. iii, I always said by his church-yard cough, you'd bury him. 1798 Wordsw. We are Seven vi, In the church-yard cottage, I Dwell near them with my mother. 1820 Keats Eve St. Agnes xviii, A poor weak, palsy-stricken, churchyard thing. 1863 Mrs. Gaskell Sylvia's L. (Hoppe), Jem coughed, poor fellow! he coughed his churchyard cough. 1880 Browning Dram. Idylls Ser. ii. Clive 60 After trying churchyard-chat of days of yore. |