boll

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the rounded seed capsule of a plant such as cotton or flax

   Each ripe cotton boll opened to reveal a tuft of white fiber.

2. 2
   noun

   a rounded swelling or burl on a tree trunk

   The woodworker cut a decorative bowl from an elm boll.

3. 3
   noun

   historical: a Scottish dry measure whose value varied by commodity and locality

   The account valued each boll of grain at the current Edinburgh price.

The plant sense comes from Middle English bolle, from a Germanic word for a rounded object. The historical Scottish measure is a separate use, from Scots boll, related to words for a bowl or container; its capacity was not uniform.

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