meadow
UK[ˈmedəʊ]US[ˈmedoʊ]
n
A field covered in grass, especially one used for hay or for grazing animals.
Etymology
The word 'meadow' originates from the Old English 'mǣd', which referred to a mown field or pasture. This term is rooted in the Proto-Germanic 'mēdwō', itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European root 'h₂meh₁-', meaning 'to mow' or 'to cut down with a scythe'. The semantic connection is direct and agricultural: a meadow is fundamentally a piece of land where grass is grown to be mown, either for hay or for grazing livestock. This etymological journey from the action of cutting to the land that supplies the crop illustrates a classic metonymic shift, preserving a tangible link to pre-modern farming life.
Analysis
The word 'meadow' is a simplex word derived from Old English 'mǣdwe', the oblique case form of 'mǣd'. It is not productively formed from smaller, recognizable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
The cows were grazing peacefully in the lush green meadow.
Wildflowers of every color dotted the meadow in the spring.
They spread a blanket and had a picnic in the sun-drenched meadow.