From Old English (before 12th century), from Proto-Indo-European '*meh₁-' ("to mow, to cut grass"), from PIE *meh₁- ("to mow, to cut").
A piece of grassland, especially one used for hay; a field of grass and wildflowers.
From Old English 'mǣdwe,' oblique case of 'mǣd' (meadow), from Proto-Germanic '*mēdwō' (meadow), from PIE root *meh₁- (to mow, to cut grass). A meadow is literally a 'mowing place' — land defined by the human activity performed on it. The same PIE root gives us 'mow' (to cut grass) and 'aftermath' (literally 'after-mowing,' the second crop of grass). In medieval England, meadows were economically crucial — they provided