barnyard

plural barnyards

1. agricultureThe yard associated with or surrounding a barn.

   It has a coat of stiff hairs rather than the soft fleece of the barnyard animal, and it is much more agile.

   1967, Peter Farb, The Land, Wildlife, and Peoples of the Bible, page 78

   Synonyms: farmyard

comparative more barnyard · superlative most barnyard

1. figurativelyVulgar; scatological.

   Henderson too barnyard for Casa Loma, so they are rejecting further arrangements by him.

   1973, Walter C. Allen, Hendersonia: The Music of Fletcher Henderson and His Musicians, page 509

   2 more examples

   The bad part was that Thor and Chief, with their vivid and clever imaginations, had made up a whole cast of characters, some of them with very barnyard names, and soap-opera lives.

   1999, D. K. Barber, Baldy and the Mohawks, page 12

   They’ve come to be called "snout" houses, a label that sounds more barnyard than city street and, in any event, certainly doesn’t sound pretty.

   2011 August 8, Rick Smith, “Cedar Rapids, Marion take aim at 'snout' houses”, in The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

2. figurativelyOf food or drink, having an earthy flavor.

   Cheeses made from goat’s milk tend to have a more barnyard and tangy taste than cow’s milk.

   2016 July 20, “How To Add a Cheese Board to Your Summer Menu”, in Modern Restaurant Management

   1 more example

   Mr. Oliver, the brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery, has a quirky way of describing his creations. He refers to the more complex ones as “a little bit barnyard,” “having a funky nose” or “like a good sourdough bread.”

   2013 February 13, Linda Hervieux, “Brooklynite Hits France, With Plans to Seduce”, in New York Times