thwaite

/θweɪt/

thwaite

English Noun

Definition

A piece of forest land cleared for agriculture or habitation; a clearing.

Etymology

From Middle English *thwait, a borrowing from Old Norse þveit (“paddock”). Compare Old Norse þveita (“to hurl”) (see whittle), Danish døjt (“¹⁄₁₆₀ of the gulden”, dialectal: “a small coin”), German Deut, Dutch duit. Cognate with Old English þwītan (“to thwite; cut; cut off”). Doublet of doit, and possibly of twat.