ENGLISH
REFERENCE

thorpe

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈθɔɹp// thor·pe Archaic

n. a very old word for a small village or a group of houses in the countryside.

n. a small village, hamlet, or cluster of houses. Primarily encountered in historical literature or as a suffix in English place names.


SIMPLE

The old map shows a tiny thorpe near the river.

CONTEXTUAL

The travelers sought shelter in a quiet thorpe nestled deep within the valley.

COMPLEX

While the city grew into a bustling industrial hub, the neighboring thorpe remained unchanged for centuries, preserved by its geographic isolation and traditional farming practices.

Origin

Various places in England, from Old English þorp. See also thorpe.

Usage

Archaic; modern usage is almost exclusively restricted to toponymy (place names) such as Scunthorpe or Mablethorpe.

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