▪ I. espalier, n.
(ɪˈspælɪə(r))
Also 7 espaliere.
[a. F. espalier, ad. It. spalliera ‘wainscot work to lean the shoulders against’ (Florio), hence, stakes of the same height, f. spalla shoulder. Cf. Sp. espalera, espaldera, of same meaning.]
1. A kind of lattice-work or frame-work of stakes upon which fruit trees or ornamental shrubs are trained; also the stakes individually.
| 1741 Compl. Fam. Piece ii. iii. 356 Repair your Espaliers, and fasten your Fruit-trees thereto. 1754 Dodsley Agriculture ii. (R.), His ripening fruits Display their sweet temptations from the wall, Or from the gay espalier. 1816 Kirby & Spence Entomol. xiv. (1828) I. 436 The upright putrescent espaliers of vine-props. 1862 Ansted Channel Isl. ii. viii. 168 The willow..is much used, its young shoots being employed to tie up the fruit trees to the espaliers. |
2. A fruit-tree trained on a lattice, usually of woodwork, or on stakes.
| 1662 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 223 Plant your fairest Tulips..under Espaliers. 1731 Pope Ep. Burlington 78 Behold Villario's ten years toil compleat, His Quincunx darkens, his Espaliers meet. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. I. 541 Espaliers of European grapes in gardens have long ago been introduced. 1833 Tennyson Blackbird, The espaliers and the standards all Are thine. |
† 3. A row of trees so trained. Obs.
| 1712 J. James tr. Le Blond's Gardening 3 A Fruit-Garden planted..in long Espaliers. 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Batardier, Fruit-Trees..placed in Espaliers or elsewhere, instead of a dead Tree. |
4. attrib. and Comb., chiefly simple attrib.; also espalierwise adv., in the form of an espalier.
| 1717 Berkeley Tour Italy 16 Jan., Espalier hedges..make the ornaments of this place. 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Garden Fences, The Horse-Chestnut..will bear forming Espalierwise. 1806 Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Friendship (1882) I. 20 One of the espalier apple-trees in the garden is a perfect picture. 1858 Glenny Gard. Everyday Bk. 102/1 Espalier Trees may be much more easily cleaned of vermin. |
▪ II. espalier, v.
(ɛˈspælɪə(r))
[f. prec. n.]
trans. a. To train as an espalier. b. To furnish or surround with an espalier.
| 1810 Bp. Copleston Repl. to Edin. Rev. in Mem. (1851) 329 We want not men who are clipped and espaliered into any form which the whim of the gardener may dictate. 1846 in Worcester; and in mod Dicts. |
Hence eˈspaliered ppl. a., eˈspaliering vbl. n.
| 1856 Ruskin Mod. Paint. IV. v. xi. §9 Latticed and espaliered cottages. 1865 M. E. Braddon Doctor's Wife iii, There were roses and sweet-brier, espaliered apples. 1882 Jrnl. Derbysh. Archæol. Soc. IV. 154 He appears to be engaged in that form of training trees called espaliering. |