What does turfing mean?
“Turfing” most directly means covering or repairing ground with turf, the grass and soil cut or laid together in sections. It is commonly used for work on lawns, fields, sports pitches, and other areas where a grassy surface is being created or restored. The word can also have an informal and more figurative sense: competing to claim, control, or defend a particular territory, especially when rival criminal groups or organizations are involved. In this second use, turfing carries connotations of rivalry, intimidation, and influence rather than gardening or landscaping. Although “turfing” can function as a verb form and as a noun, it is especially frequent in phrases describing territorial disputes and organized competition. It is a useful example of how a word associated with a physical surface can extend metaphorically to describe control over space.
Cutting, laying, or covering ground with turf; also, informally, asserting or defending control over territory.
"The groundskeeper was turfing the damaged area beside the pitch."
The literal use is neutral, while the territorial use is informal and often carries a sense of rivalry or intimidation.
The activity of laying or maintaining turf; in informal contexts, the practice of asserting or defending control over a territory.
"The area became a focus of turfing between rival organizations."
Turfing can mean laying grass, but in the underworld it can mean fighting over territory.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How turfing is actually used
The literal sense is neutral and practical, while the territorial sense is informal and may suggest rivalry, intimidation, or organized crime. As a verb form, “turfing” is commonly used with an object such as “a lawn,” “a pitch,” or “a field.”