Filberd

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A nut-producing tree related to the hazel, or the rounded edible nut it bears, often used in baking and snacking
2. A deciduous shrub or small tree cultivated for its sweet, edible nuts encased in a smooth shell, closely related to hazelnuts
3. A plant species named for its nutty fruit which is harvested for culinary uses, typically round and flavorful, belonging to the same family as the common hazel nut

Etymology: Saint Philibert's feast day, 22 August, falls at the point in the year when the nuts of this tree are ripe, and that calendar fact gave the word its name. The nut was known in Middle English as "filbert-note," a phrase borrowed from Anglo-Norman "noix de filbert," meaning "nut of Philibert." The saint's name, the nut's name, and the timing of the harvest were all bound together in the English word. "Filberd" is an alternative spelling of "filbert," and the spelling shows how the name was pronounced and written over time. Early forms also appear as "Philibert-nut," where the saint's name is more fully preserved. The form dropped the initial "Ph" and eventually settled into the spelling used today.

Synonyms: filbert, hazelnut