echard

¹ American  

[ek-hahrd] / ˈɛkˌhɑrd /

noun

1. the water in soil that is not available for absorption by plants.

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echard ² American  

[ek-ahrd] / ˈɛk ɑrd /

noun

1. Ecology. all the water present in the soil but not available to plants. Compare holard, chresard.

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echard British  

/ ˈɛkɑːd /

noun

1. water that is present in the soil but cannot be absorbed or otherwise utilized by plants

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Etymology

Origin of echard

First recorded in 1905–10; from ech-, root of Greek verb échein “to have, hold, hold back” + árd(ein) “to water, irrigate”; cf. chresard ( def. )