Vigne

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of climbing or twining plant, particularly the grapevine, known for its ability to grow rapidly and cover structures
2. A botanical term for a vine that supports the growth of fruit-bearing plants, especially in the context of grapes
3. Referring to any climbing plant that uses tendrils to attach and ascend, notably in agriculture and horticulture practices

Etymology: In Latin, "vinea" meant a vineyard, and it was derived from "vinum," wine. The same Latin word also named a movable wooden shelter that Roman soldiers pushed up to city walls during sieges, though why that shelter took the name is uncertain. The plant sense developed as French, where "vigne" now means the vine itself, and this term passed from French into English. English "vine" comes from the same Latin source, so the two are doublets: separate borrowings of one word that arrived by different routes and kept different forms. The English "vine" came through Old French, and "vigne" preserves a later French spelling and sound. This term is a deliberate French loan, used mainly for the climbing grape plant itself rather than for a vineyard.

Synonyms: vineyard, vine, grapevine