Orchard
/ˈɔːr.tʃəd/noun
A piece of land planted with fruit trees.
Did you know?The English word comes through Old English from a Germanic root for an enclosed yard, which is why its history is about boundaries and containment rather than fruit itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gher-
“to grasp, enclose, or surround”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gardaz
“an enclosure, yard, or protected place”
Old English
English
orceard
“an orchard; a fruit garden”
Middle English
English
orchard
“a fruit garden or enclosed plantation of trees”
Modern English
English
orchard
“a piece of land planted with fruit trees”