glade
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a grassy, open space in the middle of a forest where there are no trees.
an open space or clearing in a forest, often characterized by a lack of dense canopy and the presence of grass.
Simple“We found a sunny glade in the woods and sat down for a picnic.”
In context“The sunlight filtered through the canopy, illuminating a small glade where wildflowers grew in abundance away from the dense undergrowth.”
UsageOften used in descriptive or poetic writing to evoke a sense of peace or hidden beauty.
- 02 C1 Advanced
a short name for an everglade, which is a type of grassy wetland.
a colloquial shortening of 'everglade', referring to a tract of low, marshy land.
Simple“The tour guide pointed out the birds nesting deep in the glade.”
In context“Conservationists are working to restore the natural water flow to the glades to protect the local ecosystem from further degradation.”
UsageCommonly used in the plural form 'the glades' when referring to the Florida Everglades.
From Middle English glade, glode, glede (“a gleam of light, bright space, an open space; an open or cleared space in a forest; a bright patch of sky; a bright surface of snow or ice”), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old English glǣd, glād, related to Old English glæd (“shining, bright”), (compare Old Norse glaðr (“bright”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.