Did you know?
In his poem “After the Winter,” Jamaican-born poet and novelist Claude McKay writes of a “summer isle / Where bamboos spire to shafted grove / And wide-mouthed orchids smile,” declaring that “… we will build a cottage there / Beside an open glade …” It’s a serene, joyous vision offered to the speaker’s beloved, and it may shine a bit of light on the etymological connection between glade and the adjective glad, besides. Glade, which has been part of the English language since the early 1500s, was originally used not just to indicate a clearing in the woods but often specifically to refer to one filled with sunlight (note that McKay specifies that his glade is “open,” as glades can be in full or partial shade). It’s this sunniness that has led some etymologists over the years to suggest a connection with glad, which in Middle English also meant “shining.” To further the intrigue, a now-obsolete sense of glade once referred to a clear or bright space in the sky, or to a flash of light or lightning.
Examples of glade in a Sentence
Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
At the sight of the beautiful low-angle glade covered in undulating powder, the Rogers duo looked equally excited and apprehensive.
—David Goodman, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Prescribed burns will be conducted when weather conditions are favorable and will include timber stands and glade restoration areas.
—The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, arkansasonline.com, 31 Jan. 2025
One of several constrictors known to exist in the ‘glades, the python has decimated native species including rabbits, raccoons, opossums, and birds.
—Alan Clemons, Outdoor Life, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glade
Cite this Entry
“Glade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glade. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
glade
noun
Share