Boll
/bɒl/noun
The rounded seed pod of plants such as cotton or flax.
Did you know?The term 'boll' is linked to ancient agricultural practices, where the pods were often associated with fertility rituals and the cycles of life and death.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰol-
“to swell, to bulge.”
Old English
OE
bolla
“a round object or a swelling.”
Middle English
ME
bolle
“a seed pod or a swelling on a plant.”
Modern English
English
boll
“specifically refers to the seed pod of certain plants, especially cotton.”