filbert

noun

fil·​bert ˈfil-bərt How to pronounce filbert (audio)
1
: either of two Eurasian hazels (Corylus avellana and C. maxima)
2
: the sweet thick-shelled nut of the filbert
broadly : hazelnut

Did you know?

Hazel trees are common in England, and their sweet nuts become ripe in late summer. The feast day of a French saint named Philibert was celebrated during the time that people picked these nuts. In 1066 the Normans conquered England and in their form of French they called the nut of the hazel tree philber, after the saint. Eventually, English borrowed the word as filbert.

Examples of filbert in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web If necessary, second spray of filbert trees for filbertworm. oregonlive, 1 Aug. 2022 Remove cankered limbs from fruit and nut trees for control of diseases such as apple anthracnose, bacterial canker of stone fruit and Eastern filbert blight. oregonlive, 1 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'filbert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French philber, from St. Philibert †684 Frankish abbot whose feast day falls in the nutting season

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of filbert was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near filbert

Cite this Entry

“Filbert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/filbert. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

filbert

noun
fil·​bert ˈfil-bərt How to pronounce filbert (audio)
1
: either of two European hazels
2
: the sweet thick-shelled nut of a filbert
also : hazelnut
Etymology

Middle English filbert "filbert," from philber, name for the nut in the French language used in England after 1066; named for Saint Philibert, French abbot who has a feast day at the time when the nuts ripen

Word Origin
Hazel trees are common in England, and their sweet nuts become ripe in late summer. The feast day of a French saint named Philibert was celebrated during the time that people picked these nuts. In the form of French spoken in England after the Normans conquered it in 1066, the nut of the hazel tree was called philber, after the saint. English borrowed the word as filbert.

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