windrow
Meaning
A long line of hay, grain, or other cut crop, raked together to dry before being gathered.
A similar line of leaves, dust, or snow swept together by the wind.
Structure
Usage
The farmer raked the cut grass into neat windrows across the field.
After the storm, the lawn was covered in windrows of fallen leaves.
The snowplow left high windrows of snow along the edge of the road.
Etymology
The word 'windrow' is a transparent compound from two native Old English elements, 'wind' and 'rāw' (meaning 'row' or 'line'). It literally describes a 'row created by the wind'. Originally an agricultural term, it referred specifically to a line of cut grass or grain arranged for drying, where the wind plays a crucial role in the curing process. Over time, its meaning expanded by analogy to describe any similar linear accumulation of material, such as leaves or snow, deposited by the action of the wind, preserving the core logic of its original construction.
Analysis
- wind (Old English): The natural movement of air. In this compound, it indicates the agent or cause of the formation. - row (Old English): A line of things or people. In this compound, it denotes the resulting arrangement or formation.