noun
wold
WOHLD/wˈoʊld/
An area of open, rolling high ground.
Broad grassy hills roll across the open wold beneath sparse trees.
Etymology
Wald named wooded upland, whereas wold came to describe open, rolling country. The change may reflect Scandinavian influence, deforestation, or a shared notion of hunting ground.
More examples
- A narrow path winds across the wold.
- A cold wind sweeps across the wolds.
- The road climbs onto a grassy wold.
Forms
wold · wolds
Similar words
- upland
- Refers to high ground without necessarily suggesting rolling terrain.
- moor
- Usually suggests uncultivated ground covered with heather or coarse grasses.