A lawnmower is a machine that cuts grass to keep it short and even. Most lawnmowers have a spinning blade underneath that slices through grass blades as you push or drive the machine across your yard.

The simplest lawnmowers are push mowers that you guide by hand, walking behind them as they cut. Riding mowers look like small tractors: you sit on top and steer while the machine does the work. Some modern robotic mowers cut grass automatically, like a Roomba for your lawn.

Before lawnmowers were invented in the 1830s, people cut grass with scythes (long, curved blades on poles) or let sheep and other animals graze to keep it short. The invention of the lawnmower made it practical for ordinary families to maintain neat yards and lawns.

The job of cutting grass with a lawnmower is called mowing the lawn or just mowing. Many kids earn their first money by mowing neighbors' lawns in the summer.