Origin: French suffix -age
Garage has 5 different meanings across 2 categories:
an outbuilding (or part of a building) for housing automobiles
"I parked my car in the garage to keep it safe from rain and snow."
a repair shop where cars and trucks are serviced and repaired
"After the oil change, we drove our car to the garage for some minor engine repairs."
A building (or section of a building) used to store a car or cars, tools and other miscellaneous items.
"He spent his Saturday afternoon organizing old bicycles in the garage before washing down his truck for the weekend trip."
In plain English: A garage is a building where you park your car or store tools and other items.
"We parked our car in the garage after buying groceries."
Usage: Use "garage" to refer specifically to a building or enclosed space designed for parking vehicles or storing equipment. Do not use it as a verb meaning to repair, which is the specialized definition of "to garage."
To store in a garage.
"After buying the new snowblower, I decided to store it in my garage for the winter."
In plain English: To garage something means to put it inside a garage for storage.
"The new electric vehicle can garage itself automatically in the tight parking spot."
Usage: Do not use "garage" as a verb to mean storing something in a building; it is only used as a noun. When you need an action word for parking or storing a vehicle, use the standard verbs "park" or "store."
The word garage comes from the French verb garer, which originally meant to keep something under cover or provide shelter. It entered English with this sense of protection, eventually becoming the specific term for a building used to store vehicles.