dooryard \'dor-yard\ n - The exterior area of a home surrounding the most commonly used entryway, typically the driveway area; "Buddy does a good job of plowin' out th' dooryard." A logical extension of "barnyard," "back yard" and "front yard," it is likely that this compound word grew out of a necessity to distinguish working areas from living areas. In a practice common to the region, homes were attached to barns and other out-buildings; dooryard identifies the exterior area of a home not given over to farming. A household word in the County, dooryard is seldom heard elsewhere. NEXT»

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