Cheddar
/ˈtʃɛd.ər/noun
A firm, usually orange or pale yellow cheese originally made in England.
Did you know?Cheddar is named after Cheddar in Somerset, England, and the place-name itself is usually traced to Old English words meaning a steep-sided pit or ravine, not the cheese.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
Ceodre / Ceodre (place-name element)
“A place associated with a ravine, pit, or hollow near the Cheddar gorge area”
Domesday Book era
English
Ceder / Chedre
“Recorded forms of the Somerset place-name”
12th–13th Century
English
cheddar
“Cheese made at or associated with Cheddar, Somerset”
Late Middle English
English
cheddar
“A hard, pressed cheese made in the Cheddar style”
Modern English
English
cheddar
“A firm cheese made in the Cheddar style, now produced widely”