awn
[awn]
Origin of awn
1250–1300; Middle English aw(u)n, agune, agene, probably < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse ǫgn, Old Danish aghn husk; replacing and cognate with Old English ægnan; cognate with Gothic ahana, Old High German agana (German Agen, Ahne), Dutch, Frisian agen; OL agna ear of grain, Czech osina awn; Greek ákaina thorn, bristle, ákhnē chaff (< a pre-Hellenic substratum language); < Indo-European *Haeḱ- sharp
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words for awn
dagger, spire, promontory, headland, barb, apex, tip, snag, tine, sword, spike, jag, prong, cusp, head, prick, beak, cape, spur, spineExamples from the Web for awn
Historical Examples of awn
The fourth glume is the flattened base of the awn, epaleate.
A Handbook of Some South Indian GrassesRai Bahadur K. Ranga Achariyar
In the locality this was called “picklin in his awn poke neuk.”
Lives of the EngineersSamuel Smiles
The little I have is free, and I can call it my awn—hame's hame, let it be never so hamely.
The History of John BullJohn Arbuthnot
Bear, my dearest friend, bear is all they have, and wonderment it is to me that they ever see an awn of it.
The PirateSir Walter Scott
The awn or beard is merely an elongation of the palea inferior.
awn
Word Origin for awn
Old English agen ear of grain; related to Old Norse ögn chaff, Gothic ahana, Old High German agana, Greek akōn javelin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
awn
[ôn]
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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