acre
/ˈeɪkər/
noun
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*agro- — field
Overview
Meaning Now
- A unit of land area equal to 4,840 square yards (approximately 0.405 hectares).
- An open field, pasture, or plot of land.
Literal older meaning
open country or field
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
æcer
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
Originally, an acre was not a defined geometric measurement but rather the amount of land that could be plowed in one day by a yoke of oxen. Over time, statutory definitions in medieval England standardized the size to its current measurement.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*aǵro-
“field or hunting ground”
- Proto-Germanic
*akraz
“field or cultivated land”
- Old English
æcer
“field, open land, or acre”
- Middle English
acre
“a measurement of land”
Connections
Word parts
acre
root
field
Related across languages
German
Acker
field
Latin
ager
field
Greek
agros
field
Related words
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Related to acre
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.