different between osier vs tumbril

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French osier (“basket willow, withy”), from Old French osier, hosier, hosyere (compare Medieval Latin aus?ria (“willow-bed”)), from Frankish *halster (compare Low German Halster, Hilster (“bay willow”)).

Alternatively from Medieval Latin aus?ria (“willow-bed”), from Gaulish *awes? (“riverbed”) (compare Breton aoz (“riverbed”)), from Proto-Celtic *auos (“river”), which could also be present in the French place name Avoise.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /???z??/, /?????/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?o????/

Noun

osier (plural osiers)

1. A kind of willow, Salix viminalis, growing in wet places in Europe and Asia, and introduced into North America. It is considered the best of the willows for basket work. The name is sometimes given to any kind of willow.
2. One of the long, pliable twigs of this plant, or of other similar plants.
   • 1952, L.F. Salzman, Building in England, p. 188:

     Wattling consists of a row of upright stakes the spaces between which are more or less filled by interweaving small branches, hazel rods, osiers, reeds, thin strips of wood, or other pliant material.

Derived terms

• red osier dogwood

Translations

References

Anagrams

• Rosie, sorie

French

Etymology

From Old French osier, hosier, hosyere (compare Medieval Latin aus?ria (“willow-bed”)), from Frankish *halster (compare Low German Halster, Hilster (“bay willow”)).

Alternatively from Medieval Latin aus?ria (“willow-bed”), from Gaulish *awes? (“riverbed”) (compare Breton aoz (“riverbed”)), from Proto-Celtic *auos (“river”), which could also be present in the French place name Avoise.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o.zje/

Noun

osier m (plural osiers)

1. (countable) osier (tree)
2. (uncountable) wicker
3. (tree) willow

Derived terms

Related terms

• oseraie

References

Further reading

• “osier” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• seoir, seroi

English

Alternative forms

• tumbrel

Etymology

From Old French tumberel (in Anglo-Latin tumberellus), from tomber, tumber (“to fall”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?mb??l/

Noun

tumbril (plural tumbrils)

1. A kind of medieval torture device, later associated with a cucking stool.
2. A cart which opens at the back to release its load.
   • 1800, The Times, 17 Mar 1800, p.3 col. B:

     They then confined the Dean, while they rifled the house of every valuable article, as well as plate and money; all that was portable they loaded on Mr. Carleton’s own tumbril, to which they harnessed his horse […]
3. A cart used to carry condemned prisoners to their death, especially to the guillotine during the French Revolution.
   • 1848, The Times, 26 Jun 1848, p.4 col. B:

     It is now ascertained that the tumbrel and the torches which figured in the massacre-scene of the 23d of February were prepared beforehand […]

   • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, p. 370:

     If there would be former freemasons on the Committee of Public Safety during the Terror, they would be numbered too in the ranks of the émigré armies and counter-revolutionary Chouan rebels, and in tumbrils bound for the guillotine.

4. (Britain, obsolete) A basket or cage of osiers, willows, or the like, to hold hay and other food for sheep.

Translations