peat
/piːt/ noun, proper noun
Forms peats
- noun Soil formed of dead but not fully decayed plants found in bog areas, often burned as fuel.
- noun (obsolete) A pet, a darling; a woman.
- proper noun A surname transferred from the given name.
Etymology
Inherited from Northern Middle English pete (recorded in Latin text as peta), of uncertain origin; perhaps from a Celtic language such as an unattested Pictish or Brythonic source, in turn possibly from Proto-Brythonic *peθ (“portion, segment, piece”); if so, it would be a doublet of piece.
Probably from Middle Dutch pete (“godmother or godfather”) (modern Dutch peet (“godparent, old woman, grandmother; godchild”)), related to dialectal German Pfette, Pfetter (“godfather; godchild”)), German Pate (“godfather, sponsor”), Patin (“godmother”). Or alternatively, related to pet (“a favourite”).
From a Middle English pet-form of Peter.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A small person; a pet; --sometimes used contemptuously. [Obs.]
- noun A substance of vegetable origin, consisting of roots and fibers, moss, etc., in various stages of decomposition, and found, as a kind of turf or bog, usually in low situations, where it is always more or less saturated with water. It is often dried and used for fuel. Peat bog, a bog containing peat; also, peat as it occurs in such places; peat moss.
Etymology [Cf. Pet a fondling.]
Etymology [Prob. for beat, prop., material used to make the fire burn better, fr. AS. b to better, mend (a fire), b advantage. See Better, Boot advantage.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “peat”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details