Stovers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Dried stalks and leaves of crops left after harvesting ; individuals bearing the surname associated with Stover ; remains of vegetation used as animal feed or bedding
2. The collective name for post-harvest crop residue such as stalks and leaves ; people whose last name is linked to Stover ; fibrous plant material commonly repurposed for fodder or litter
3. Agricultural byproducts consisting of stalks and leaves left after grain is collected ; descendants or bearers of the Stover family name ; material from plants utilized as feed for livestock or for padding stalls

Etymology: The plural of "stover," the dry stalks and stems left in a field after harvest. The singular comes from Anglo-Norman "estovers," meaning "necessities," which passed into Middle English as "estover," meaning "allowance." That word traces back to Latin "est opus," literally "there is need." The link between "necessities" and crop stalks is the surprising part. Estovers was a legal term for the right to take what was needed for living, such as wood for fuel and repairs, from an estate. Over time the English word narrowed to the leftover material farmers could gather and use, and eventually to the stalks themselves.

Synonyms: stover