dewpond en · NOUN
Etymology
From dew + pond.
Meanings
-
(archaic) A shallow (typically artificial) pond occurring in hills without any spring as source, originally thought to be fed by condensation (dew or mist), and now generally believed to be rainfed.
Her hair was loose and blew about her shoulders, she ran swiftly, wearing sandals when she set off on the long run to the dewpond.
1915, DH Lawrence, The Rainbow, Vintage, published 2011, page 431:We have no waters to delight / Our broad and brookless vales— / Only the dewpond on the height / Unfed, that never fails […].
1903, Rudyard Kipling, Five Nations, Sussex:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| dew pond | alternative | lexicographic | |
| dew-pond | alternative | lexicographic | |
| dewponds | Number=Plur | lexicographic |