rind

¹ American  

[rahynd] / raɪnd /

noun

1. a thick and firm outer coat or covering, as of certain fruits, cheeses, and meats.

   watermelon rind; orange rind; bacon rind.

2. the bark of a tree.

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rind ² American  

[rahynd, rind] / raɪnd, rɪnd /

Or rynd

noun

1. a piece of iron running across an upper millstone as a support.

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rind British  

/ raɪnd /

noun

1. a hard outer layer or skin on bacon, cheese, etc

2. the outer layer of a fruit or of the spore-producing body of certain fungi

3. the outer layer of the bark of a tree

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• rindy
  adjective
• rindless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of rind¹

before 900; Middle English, Old English rind ( e ) tree bark, crust; cognate with German Rinde

Origin of rind²

1300–50; Middle English rynd; cognate with Middle Dutch rijn, Middle Low German rīn

Explanation

A rind is a thick, inedible peel. You'll have to remove the rind of your orange before you eat it. Most rinds occur naturally, growing to cover and protect a fruit or a plant. You can also call the thick, waxy covering on a wheel of cheese a rind, or the inedible skin on a sausage or another food. The Old English root rinde originally meant "bark or crust," and later also "peel of a fruit or vegetable."

Example Sentences

To RIND, RYNDE, v. a. to melt fat by the heat of the fire.

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume XXIV. by Leighton, Alexander

Mr. RIND, Permit me, in your paper, to address the members of our assembly on two points, in which the public interest is very nearly concerned.

From Some Historical Account of Guinea, Its Situation, Produce, and the General Disposition of Its Inhabitants An Inquiry into the Rise and Progress of the Slave Trade, Its Nature and Lamentable Effects by Benezet, Anthony

Related Words

• crust