orchard

American  

[awr-cherd] / ˈɔr tʃərd /

noun

orchards plural

1. an area of land devoted to the cultivation of fruit or nut trees.

2. a group or collection of such trees.

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orchard British  

/ ˈɔːtʃəd /

noun

1. an area of land devoted to the cultivation of fruit trees

2. a collection of fruit trees especially cultivated

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• orchards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of orchard

before 900; Middle English orch ( i ) ard, Old English orceard; replacing ortyard, Middle English ortyerd, Old English ortigeard (compare Gothic aurtigards garden), equivalent to ort- (combining form akin to wort ²; later identified with Latin hortus garden) + geard yard ²

Explanation

An orchard is a tree garden. If you visit New England in autumn, make sure to stop by a local apple orchard and pick a few baskets to take home. From the Old English orceard blossomed our modern-day spelling of orchard, a noun meaning “fruit farm.” But you can also use the word figuratively to refer to something filled with treats or precious content. The US Congregational minister, Henry Ward Beecher, was famous for having proclaimed, “A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

orchard orchards

Mora said that, at the end of the day, some people even came to the orchard to pick up the fruit that had been tossed to the side.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

He feared his business would fall short of generating the income needed to cover the upfront cost of the orchard leases, noting some had abandoned their contracts entirely.

From Barron's ● Jun. 21, 2026

Other impressive features on the grounds include a saltwater pool; vegetable gardens; a wildflower meadow; an orchard of cherry, apple, and peach trees; and a sports court—ideal for Paul’s training.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026

The planning application also includes public access along a circular walk, viewing areas, public toilets, spares to hire and restoration of the existing orchard.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026

Outside we made a crazy golf course with planks, pipes, and old horseshoes from the choked orchard where Dean’s garden stops.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Several councils, including Hounslow, Southwark and Hackney, have already introduced the policy to turn wasteland into allotments, community gardens and orchards.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

The West had a “foreboding beauty”; wheat fields and orchards gave way to “unforgiving” sagebrush and treeless hills.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

There are a handful of other small cherry orchards in the valley.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

The 12-acre parcel appears to have a converted barn on the premises, as well as stone walls, a stocked pond, and orchards.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026

Dr. Pickett began his work some thirty-five years ago in the apple orchards of the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, once one of the most concentrated fruit-growing areas in Canada.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• garden
• plantation