garage

garage — noun

1. a building next to a house or built into the side of it, where you park your car

1.nounA2
Definition

a building next to a house or built into the side of it, where you park your car or store things like tools and bicycles.

Example

Reuben parked his scooter in the garage and then went into the kitchen.

preposition: in the garage (enclosed space)

Felix parked his car in the garage every evening after driving home from work.

collocation: park + car + in + the garage

Common collocations
  • attached garage
  • detached garage
  • garage door
  • garage sale
  • garage floor
  • single garage
  • double garage
  • lock the garage
Synonyms
  • carport

    a shelter for a car with a roof but open sides, less enclosed than a garage

Usage Note

A 'garage' is part of or attached to a house — different from a 'car park', which is a public or shared parking area.

Common Mistakes

I left my car in the car park at home.
I left my car in the garage at home.
'car park' means a public parking lot, not a private building for a car.

2. a business where people take their cars, motorcycles, or other vehicles to be fi

2.nounB1
Definition

a business where people take their cars, motorcycles, or other vehicles to be fixed or checked by a mechanic.

Example

Imran took his van to the garage because the engine was making a strange noise.

collocation: take + vehicle + to + the garage

The garage on Mill Road fixed Chidi's brakes in just one afternoon.

subject: the garage + on [street]

Common collocations
  • local garage
  • take to a garage
  • garage mechanic
  • garage bill
  • garage owner
  • send to a garage
Synonyms
  • auto shop

    common in American English for a car-repair business

  • service centre

    a more formal term, often used by car dealers for maintenance

Usage Note

In British English, 'garage' can also mean a petrol station (sense 3). Context usually clarifies whether a repair shop or a fuel station is meant.

Common Mistakes

I left my car at the garage for repairs and picked it up from the petrol station.
I left my car at the garage for repairs and picked it up from the repair shop.
A petrol station (sense 3) sells fuel; a repair garage (sense 2) fixes vehicles. They are often separate businesses.

3. a place by the side of a road where you can buy petrol, diesel, and other fuel f

3.nounB1
Definition

a place by the side of a road where you can buy petrol, diesel, and other fuel for your vehicle, and often also buy snacks, drinks, and basic car items.

Example

Heloísa stopped at the garage to fill up before driving to the airport.

collocation: stop at + the garage (to fill up)

The garage on the motorway sells petrol and has a small shop open all night.

variety label: British — 'petrol' (not 'gas')

Common collocations
  • garage forecourt
  • motorway garage
  • garage shop
  • at the garage
  • buy petrol at a garage
Synonyms
  • petrol station

    the more explicit term for a fuel-selling garage; interchangeable in British English

  • gas station

    the standard American English term for this sense

Usage Note

This sense is chiefly British. In American English, the equivalent word is 'gas station' or 'service station'. In the UK, a 'garage' often combines a fuel station with a small shop.

Common Mistakes

I need to find a garage to buy some gas.
I need to find a petrol station to buy some fuel.
In British English, 'petrol' is used instead of 'gas'. In American English, use 'gas station' rather than 'garage' for this sense.

4. a business that sells new or used cars and other vehicles to customers.

4.nounB2
Definition

a business that sells new or used cars and other vehicles to customers.

Example

Brooke bought her first car from a garage that sells only used vehicles.

collocation: buy + [vehicle] + from a garage

The garage on High Street has a row of new cars in the front window.

Common collocations
  • used-car garage
  • garage owner
  • buy from a garage
  • sell cars at a garage
Synonyms
  • car dealership

    the standard term in American English; also used in British English but 'garage' is more informal

  • showroom

    a place where cars are displayed for sale, usually part of a larger dealership

Usage Note

Chiefly British. In American English, 'car dealership' or 'dealership' is the standard term for a business that sells cars.

5. a fast-paced electronic dance genre that features a strong beat and vocal melodi

5.nounC1
Definition

a fast-paced electronic dance genre that features a strong beat and vocal melodies.

Example

The club played garage music and the crowd danced until three in the morning.

uncountable: played garage music (no article)

Reuben prefers listening to garage because of its fast beat and soulful singing.

Common collocations
  • garage music
  • UK garage
  • garage track
  • garage scene
  • listen to garage
  • garage artist
Synonyms
  • UK garage

    the full name of the genre, used to distinguish from 'garage rock'

Usage Note

Often called 'UK garage' to distinguish it from other electronic music genres. Originated in London in the 1990s. Not related in meaning to the other senses of 'garage'.

Common Mistakes

I parked my car in the UK garage.
I parked my car in the garage.
The music genre 'garage' or 'UK garage' is unrelated to the building sense. Context makes the meaning clear.

garage — verb

Word family

  • garaging
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words describe places where vehicles are repaired, but they differ in register and regional usage. 'Garage' is the most common and informal term in British English for a local repair business. 'Auto shop' is the standard American English equivalent — in the US, a 'garage' usually means a home parking building, not a repair business. 'Service centre' sounds more formal and is often used by car manufacturers or dealerships for scheduled maintenance. 'Workshop' is a broader word and can refer to any place where skilled manual work is done; for vehicle repair, it often suggests a small, specialised operation. For example: 'Chidi took his car to the local garage because the price was fair.' In the US you would say: 'Chidi took his car to the auto shop.' If he needed official brand servicing, he would go to a service centre.

garage ↗auto shopservice centreworkshop ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • garage door
  • garage floor
  • garage space
  • garage roof
  • garage wall
  • garage owner
  • garage mechanic

Phrases

  • garage sale
  • garage band
  • garage door opener
  • out of the garage
  • lock up the garage

Prepositions

  • at the garage
  • in the garage
  • to the garage
  • out of the garage

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

The English word 'garage' comes from French, where 'garer' means 'to shelter' or 'to dock a ship'. French speakers originally used 'garage' for the action of docking a boat or parking a train. In the early 1900s, as cars became common, English borrowed the word to mean a building where a motor vehicle is sheltered or repaired.