garth

n.

1. A grassy quadrangle surrounded by cloisters.
2. Archaic. A yard, garden, or paddock.

[Middle English, enclosed yard, from Old Norse gardhr.]

(garth)

noun
A small yard surrounded by a cloister. Also known as cloister garth.

Etymology
From Middle English, from Old Norse (garthr) yard. Ultimately from Indo-European root gher- (to enclose or grasp) that is also the ancestor of such words as court, orchard, kindergarten, French jardin (garden), choir, courteous, Hindi gherna (to surround), yard, and horticulture.

Usage
"The St. Joseph's Abbey bell tower dominates the view looking out across the garth." — Bradford L. Miner; Heeding the Call Abbey Opens Doors to Prospective Monks; Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts); Mar 11, 2001.

"In this respect it might be noted that in 1457 the Westminster cloister garth was scythed three times, giving some indication that grass would have been able to grow to some considerable length." — Jan Woudstra and James Hitchmough; The Enamelled Mead; Landscape Research (Abingdon, UK); Mar 2000.

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The open courtyard of a cloister, often a lawn.

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garth brooks	garth brooks the session
garth brooks the lost session