Parking means leaving a vehicle in a particular place for a period of time. When your family drives to the grocery store, you find a parking spot in the lot, turn off the engine, and leave the car there while you shop. Cities designate specific areas for parking: parking lots, parking garages, and spaces along streets where cars can legally sit without blocking traffic.

Today, parking has become an essential part of city planning. Engineers must figure out where all those cars will go when their drivers arrive at work, school, or restaurants.

Parking can be tricky in crowded places. Some drivers circle blocks for twenty minutes searching for a spot. Others must feed coins into parking meters that limit how long they can stay. Many buildings have parking structures with multiple levels to fit more cars in less space.

To park means to put a vehicle in a place and leave it there for a while. You'll also hear the word used figuratively. Someone might joke about “parking yourself on the couch” when you settle in for a long movie, meaning you're staying put for a while.