Balds

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Having little or no hair on the scalp, often referring to a specific condition or style
2. Describing a surface devoid of covering or vegetation, making it appear bare
3. Characterizing an area lacking in features or decoration, which may convey simplicity or minimalism

Etymology: "Balds" is simply the plural of "bald," so its story is really the story of "bald." The adjective probably comes from Middle English "balled" or "ballid," formed from "bal" or "balle," meaning a round object, a knoll, or the head itself. A bald head is, in that sense, a rounded top with the hair gone, and the connection is a plausible picture of how the word took shape, though its exact origin remains uncertain. Some scholars have proposed a different and far more dramatic route. An alternate etymology links "bald" to Old English "bǣl," meaning fire, flame, or funeral pyre, which would make the word's oldest sense a burning or a blaze. This is less widely accepted, and the evidence is not conclusive, but it is a reminder that the word's ancestry may run through fire rather than through round objects.

Synonyms: bare patches, treeless areas, clearings, open spaces, bald patches

Antonyms: forested areas, wooded areas, leafy areas