Jugland

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of deciduous tree producing edible nuts enclosed in a hard shell and typically having pinnate leaves; the timber of this tree is often used for furniture and cabinetry; also refers to the nut itself
2. A broadleaf tree species valued for its nutritious nuts contained in a woody husk and its hardwood used in woodworking; its compound leaves are feather-like; the term can also denote the nut produced by this tree
3. A genus of trees known for bearings edible nuts covered by a green husk, characterized by pinnately compound foliage and prized for strong, durable wood utilized in furniture making; the name also applies to the nut yielded by the tree

Etymology: Latin speakers called the walnut "Jovis glans," meaning "Jupiter's acorn" or "Jupiter's nut," and the genus name Juglans is a contraction of that phrase. "Glans" meant acorn or nut, which is why the same Latin root turns up in the anatomical term for the tip of the penis. Juglans is the genus name, the scientific label that botanists gave to walnut trees. The English word for the tree itself has a different origin: "walnut" comes from Old English "walhhnutu," where "walh" meant "foreign" or "Welsh," referring to Romance-speaking peoples. The nut was thus named as a foreign import, not for a Roman god.

Synonyms: juglans, walnut tree