kailyard

1 of 2

noun

kail·​yard

Scottish

: kitchen garden

kailyard

2 of 2

adjective

"

often capitalized

of a school of writers

: characterized by sentimental description of Scottish life and considerable use of Scots dialect

such various aspects of Scottish life as whiskey, deerstalking, salmon fishing, the Kailyard school of writers

—Janet Adams Smith

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Scots, from kale, kail + English yard

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!