Glade
/ɡleɪd/noun
An open space in a forest or woodland.
Did you know?The word is historically linked to Old English and Old Norse terms for brightness and smoothness, which is why a glade feels less like an empty space and more like a revealed, illuminated place.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gladaz
“bright, shining, smooth”
Old English
OE
glæd
“bright, shining; cheerful”
Old Norse
ON
glaðr
“bright, glad, cheerful”
Middle English
ME
glade
“a bright or open space in a forest”
Modern English
English
glade
“an open space in a forest or woodland”