Bracken
/ˈbræk.ən/noun
A large fern with coarse fronds, especially one of the genus Pteridium.
Did you know?The word is historically tied to Old French and Germanic forms meaning a fern or frond, and in some older dialects it could also refer to rough, tangled vegetation that swallowed fields whole.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brak- / *braku-
“A bend, break, or rough growth (reconstructed root associated with breaking or brushy growth).”
Old French
OF
braquenne
“Fern; bracken.”
Middle English
ME
braken
“Fern; coarse fern growth.”
Modern English
English
bracken
“A large fern with coarse fronds.”