Meaning & use
lind
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Meaning
nouncountable
An old poetic name for the linden or lime tree, known for broad heart-shaped leaves and sweet-smelling flowers.
Grammar: Takes an or the and has a rare plural linds in poetry; ordinary modern speech prefers linden or lime.
Patterns
- under the lind
- a lind in bloom
- ancient lind
The poet rested under the lind while bees moved through its blossoms.
An old lind shaded the village green in the ballad.
Word forms
| plural | linds |
|---|
Common combinations
- under the lind
- In the song, the lovers meet under the lind at dusk.
- lind in bloom
- The lind in bloom filled the lane with fragrance.
- ancient lind
- An ancient lind marked the boundary of the field.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- linden noun
- The modern name for the tree called lind in older verse.
- linden blossom noun
- The fragrant flower cluster of the linden tree.
Commonly confused: lind or linden?
lind vs linden
Lind is an older literary form; linden is the form learners should use in neutral writing.
Practice
Which word is the natural modern choice in a neutral sentence: “We planted a ___ near the school gate”?
Choose one answer.
Linden is the standard modern tree name. Lind is archaic or poetic, lithe means flexible, and loan is unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lind”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.