Polder
/ˈpoʊl.dɚ/noun
A low-lying tract of land reclaimed from the sea or a lake and protected by dikes.
Did you know?“Polder” comes from a Dutch word for a reclaimed piece of land, and the whole concept is a literal act of making ground where none existed—one of history’s most practical forms of transformation magic.
Etymological Timeline
Middle Dutch
Dutch
polder
“A tract of low-lying land enclosed by dikes”
16th Century
Dutch
polder
“Reclaimed land kept dry by drainage and embankment”
17th Century
English
polder
“A piece of land reclaimed from water, especially in the Netherlands”
Modern English
English
polder
“Low-lying land reclaimed from the sea or a lake and protected by dikes”