Rood Definition
ro͝od
noun
A cross as used in crucifixion; specif., the cross on which Jesus was crucified.
Webster's New World
Any cross representing this; crucifix, esp. a large one at the entrance to the chancel or choir of a medieval church, often supported on a rood beam or rood screen.
Webster's New World
An old unit of linear measure varying locally from 512 to 8 yards; sometimes, 1 rod.
Webster's New World
An old unit of land measure usually equal to14 acre (40 square rods)
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Rood
Noun
Singular:
rood
Plural:
roodsOrigin of Rood
-
From Middle English rood, from Old English rōd (“a rod, pole, rood (land measure), plot of land of a square rod, a cross, rood (as in Holy-rood), gallows, a cross on which a person is executed, death on a cross, crucifix"), from Proto-Germanic *rōdō, *rōdōn (“rod, pole"), from Proto-Indo-European *rōt-, *rāt- (“bar, beam, stem"). Cognate with German Rute (“rod, cane, pole"), Norwegian roda (“rod"). Largely displaced by cross. More at rod.
From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old English rōd
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Related Articles
Rood Is Also Mentioned In
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to rood using the buttons below.