chard
UK[tʃɑːd]US[tʃɑːrd]
n
A type of beet with large leaves and thick stalks that are eaten as a vegetable.
Etymology
The word 'chard' entered English in the 17th century from the French 'carde', which itself derived from the Provençal 'cardon'. This Provençal term traces back to the Latin 'carduus', meaning 'thistle'. The semantic connection lies in the shared characteristic of prickly or spiky leaves between thistles and certain related plants like artichokes. Over time, the French 'carde' was applied specifically to the edible stalks of certain plants, and English adopted and adapted the term, altering the spelling to 'chard' to refer to the cultivated leafy green vegetable.
Analysis
The word 'chard' is a simplex loanword. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English form.
Examples
Swiss chard is a popular leafy green that is easy to grow in a home garden.
She sautéed the chard with garlic and olive oil for a simple side dish.
The recipe calls for the chard stems to be chopped and cooked separately from the leaves.