Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A tree whose top branches have been cut back to the trunk so that it may produce a dense growth of new shoots.
  • noun An animal, such as an ox, goat, or sheep, that no longer has its horns.
  • transitive verb To convert or make into a pollard.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To make a pollard of; convert (a tree) into a pollard by cutting off the head.
  • noun A tree cut back nearly to the trunk, and thus caused to form a dense head of spreading branches, which are in turn cut for basket-making and fagotwood. Willows and poplars especially are so treated.
  • noun A clipped coin.
  • noun A polled animal, as a stag or an ox without horns.
  • noun Same as poll, 7.
  • noun A coarse product of wheat.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To lop the tops of, as trees; to poll.
  • noun A tree having its top cut off at some height above the ground, that may throw out branches.
  • noun obsolete A clipped coin; also, a counterfeit.
  • noun A fish, the chub.
  • noun A stag that has cast its antlers.
  • noun A hornless animal (cow or sheep).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A tree that has been pruned by cutting its branches back close to the trunk to promote a more bushy growth of foliage.
  • noun An animal, such as cattle or deer, whose horns have been removed or shed.
  • noun The chub (fish), Leuciscus cephalus.
  • noun obsolete A mixture of bran and meal.
  • verb horticulture To prune a tree heavily, cutting branches back to the trunk, so that it produces dense new growth.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb convert into a pollard
  • noun a tree with limbs cut back to promote a more bushy growth of foliage
  • noun a usually horned animal that has either shed its horns or had them removed

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From poll.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English polle ("hair of the head"), (recorded in English since c.1290), from Middle Low German or Middle Dutch pol ("head, top"); the verb is from the noun.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word pollard.

Examples

  • Chris Travers: A pollard is a “beheaded” tree (“pollard” meaning “beheaded”), i.e. a tree which was the upper branches and trunk cut off so that it produces a large quantity of upright shoots.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » To Meld — What Does “Meld” Mean? 2010

  • A pollard is a “beheaded” tree (“pollard” meaning “beheaded”), i.e. a tree which was the upper branches and trunk cut off so that it produces a large quantity of upright shoots.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » To Meld — What Does “Meld” Mean? 2010

  • Chris Travers: A pollard is a “beheaded” tree “pollard” meaning “beheaded”, i.e. a tree which was the upper branches and trunk cut off so that it produces a large quantity of upright shoots.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » To Meld — What Does “Meld” Mean? 2010

  • A pollard is a “beheaded” tree “pollard” meaning “beheaded”, i.e. a tree which was the upper branches and trunk cut off so that it produces a large quantity of upright shoots.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » To Meld — What Does “Meld” Mean? 2010

  • "Epping Forest has the highest remaining concentration of historic pollard trees in Britain," British Naturalists' Association.

    Where else can I go? 2011

  • Why can't he just be a person with down syndrome? keith pollard

    Palin hits back at 'malicious' photo 2009

  • I think I remember when last with you in your Carriage, An Old pollard Oak in Richmond park which resembled an Alderman before dinner, being very hollow, and capable of affording me great accommodation.

    Letter 250 2009

  • Every two or three years I must pollard or lay its canopy.

    Wildwood Roger Deakin 2009

  • Women in striking patchwork dresses of red, yellow, green and blue picked cotton with young boys, and by a village stream shaded by pollard willows a small girl led an enormous cow on a rope.

    Wildwood Roger Deakin 2009

  • I pass three dreys in the complex old pollard oaks in the lane.

    Wildwood Roger Deakin 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • -noun

    1. a tree cut back nearly to the trunk, so as to produce a dense mass of branches.

    2. an animal, as a stag, ox, or sheep, having no horns.

    –verb (used with object)

    3. to convert into a pollard.

    July 10, 2007

  • "… and in the brief broad progress of Fore Street, with its pollarded limes and Wednesday market, there is still a hint of the Regency sense that a good time might be had there."

    – Alan Hollinghurst, The Folding Star

    September 24, 2007

  • See withy

    January 28, 2008

  • 4. an Edwardian counterfeit coin.

    5. coarse bran or wheat flour.

    6. to kill rabbits by feeding them poisoned grain.

    February 26, 2008