glade

noun

ˈglād 

: an open space surrounded by woods

glady

ˈglā-dē 

adjective

Did you know?

In his poem “After the Winter,” Jamaican-born poet and novelist Claude McKay writes of a “summer isle / Where bamboos spire to shafted grove / And wide-mouthed orchids smile,” declaring that “… we will build a cottage there / Beside an open glade …” It’s a serene, joyous vision offered to the speaker’s beloved, and it may shine a bit of light on the etymological connection between glade and the adjective glad, besides. Glade, which has been part of the English language since the early 1500s, was originally used not just to indicate a clearing in the woods but often specifically to refer to one filled with sunlight (note that McKay specifies that his glade is “open,” as glades can be in full or partial shade). It’s this sunniness that has led some etymologists over the years to suggest a connection with glad, which in Middle English also meant “shining.” To further the intrigue, a now-obsolete sense of glade once referred to a clear or bright space in the sky, or to a flash of light or lightning.

Examples of glade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This past winter, Chris Davenport, a two-time free-skiing world champion who calls Aspen home, introduced me to an even bigger adrenaline rush: 1,500 acres of open bowls and glades on the far side of Ajax. —Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2024

An estate of some 3,400 square meters (36,600 square feet) spreads from the property’s private dock along a 200-meter protective seawall frontage and up into a dark green bucolic glade of trees. —Nielsen Dinwoodie, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024

Snowboard nerd talk aside, this combination provides fun float in powder and the maneuverability necessary to confidently glide through glades. —Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 27 Sep. 2024

Case in point, Panorama spends about $150,000 every year cutting down trees at the resort, for a variety of reasons that include creating new ski runs, optimizing the spacing in the glades to create ideal tree-skiing conditions, and maintaining overall forest health and safety. —Jayme Moye, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Feb. 2023

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from glad entry 1

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

glade

noun

ˈglād 

: a grassy open space in a forest