Hazel trees are common in England, and their sweet nuts become ripe in late summer. The feast day of a French saint named Philibert was celebrated during the time that people picked these nuts. In 1066 the Normans conquered England and in their form of French they called the nut of the hazel tree philber, after the saint. Eventually, English borrowed the word as filbert.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebIf necessary, second spray of filbert trees for filbertworm.oregonlive, 1 Aug. 2022 If necessary, second spray of filbert trees for filbertworm.oregonlive, 1 Aug. 2022 If necessary, second spray of filbert trees for filbertworm.oregonlive, 1 Aug. 2022 If necessary, second spray of filbert trees for filbertworm.oregonlive, 1 Aug. 2022 Remove cankered limbs from fruit and nut trees for control of diseases such as apple anthracnose, bacterial canker of stone fruit and Eastern filbert blight.oregonlive, 1 Feb. 2022 If necessary, second spray of filbert trees for filbertworm.oregonlive, 3 Aug. 2021 July 10: Spray filbert trees for filbertworm, as necessary.oregonlive, 1 July 2021 But most processors don't ship filberts straight to China. Tribune News Service, OregonLive.com, 5 Apr. 2018 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French philber, from St. Philibert †684 Frankish abbot whose feast day falls in the nutting season