espalier

English

WOTD – 19 April 2008

Etymology

Espaliered fruit tree.

Borrowed from French espalier, from Italian spalliera, from spalla (“shoulder”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɪˈspalɪə/, /-ˈpæl.i.eɪ/, /ɛs-/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɪˈspæl.jɚ/, /-jeɪ/, /ɛsˈpæl-/

• Audio (US)

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Noun

espalier (plural espaliers)

1. A latticework used to shape or train the branches of a tree or shrub into a two-dimensional ornamental or useful design, as along a wall or fence.
   • 1974, Lawrence Durrell, Monsieur, Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 223:

     The garment stalls carried the traditional blue vine-dressers' outfits, sunhats, and the great willow pitchforks grown in espalier at villages like Sauve.

2. A plant that has been shaped in this manner.
   • 1915 April, F. J. Smiley, “The alpine and subapline vegetation of the Lake Tahoe region”, in Botanical Gazette, volume 59, page 265:

     It is on this rocky surface that one finds many of the growth forms associated with extreme life conditions: polsters, mat plants, espaliers.

3. A row of plants that have been shaped in this manner.

Verb

espalier (third-person singular simple present espaliers, present participle espaliering, simple past and past participle espaliered)

1. To train a plant in this manner.

See also

• arborsculpture
• bonsai
• topiary

Anagrams

• pearlies

French

Etymology

From Italian spalliera.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛs.pa.lje/

Noun

espalier m (plural espaliers)

1. (agriculture) espalier
2. (sports) wall bars

Further reading

• “espalier”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• épileras
• pèlerais

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From French espalier, from Italian spalliera, from spalla (“shoulder”).

Noun

espalier n (definite singular espalieret, indefinite plural espalier or espalierer, definite plural espaliera or espalierene)

1. (horticulture) espalier
2. A formation of people lined up in two columns facing each other (to secure a passageway).
   • Danne espalier

References

• “espalier” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “espalier” in The Ordnett Dictionary

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From French espalier, from Italian spalliera, from spalla (“shoulder”).

Noun

espalier n (definite singular espalieret, indefinite plural espalier, definite plural espaliera)

1. (horticulture) espalier
2. A formation of people lined up in two columns facing each other (to secure a passageway).
   • Danne espalier

References

• “espalier” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.