DictionaryRoot: stede
Old English
stede
place or site
Forms
- stede
- stead — The modern form reflects later vowel and spelling changes.
Origin
From an old Germanic family associated with standing or position.
Note
Taking someone's place explains the replacement sense in expressions built from this word.
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noun / verb
homestead
HOHM-sted/ˈhəʊmsted/
A home with land for farming, or settling and farming such land.
Etymology
Literally a family's dwelling place, a homestead came to include the land supporting that household. This broader property sense connects the house itself with the surrounding family farm.