▪ I. haulm, halm, n.
(hɔːm, hɑːm)
Forms: 1 halm, healm, 6–7 halme, hawme, ham(e, 7–8 hawm, 7–9 haum, 5– halm, 7– haulm. (See also helm n.3)
[OE. healm = OS. (MDu., Du.), OHG. (MHG., mod.G.) halm stem or stalk of grass, stalk of a plant. ON. hâlmr (Sw., Da. halm) straw:—OTeut. *halmo-z, repr. a pre-Teut. *kalmos: cf. Gr. κάλαµος, L. calamus reed.]
a. collective sing. The stems or stalks of various cultivated plants, as peas, beans, vetches, hops, potatoes, etc., now less commonly of corn or grass; esp. as left after gathering the pods, ears, etc., and used for litter or thatching; straw.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter lxxxii[i]. 14[13] Swe swe halme biforan onsiene windes. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 134 ᵹenim cetelhrum and berenhealm, ᵹebærn & gnid togædere. Ibid. 148 ᵹenim riᵹen healm eft and beren. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 223/2 Halm, or stobyl..stipula. 1570 Stanford Churchw. Acc. in Antiquary Apr. (1888) 170 For hame to thatche the churche howse. 1573 Tusser Husb. lvii. (1878) 130 The hawme is the strawe of the wheat or the rie, which once being reaped, they mowe by and bie. 1669 Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 282 Finish the gathering and drying of your Hops; cleanse the Poles of the Hawm. 1674 Ray S. & E.C. Words 68 Haulm or Helm, stubble gathered after the corn is inned. 1675 Phil. Trans. X. 398 These apparent tangles were the ham of the beans. 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. November, Cut off the Asparagus Haulm when it is become Yellow. 1808 Curwen Econ. Feeding Stock 11 note, The potatoe top, or haulm, when properly dried, makes very good litter for cattle. 1887 Spectator 23 July 984/2 Peas often produce a great show of pods on short haulm in a dry summer. |
b. with a and pl. A stalk or stem (of a bean, potato, grass, etc.).
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. iii. 12 Ða halmas..forbernes fyres in undrysnede. 1623 Whitbourne Newfoundland 5 Great plenty of greene Pease and Fitches..the hawmes of them are good fodder for cattell. 1847 Illustr. Lond. News 24 July 61/2 The decaying haulms of the potato. 1881 Darwin Veg. Mould 117 A thin cylindrical object such as a haulm of grass. |
c. attrib.
| 1862 T. Hughes in Macm. Mag. V. 241/2 They..came upon haulm walls and hurdles, within which were a flock of sheep. |
▪ II. haulm, v.
[f. prec. n.]
trans. To lay (straw or haulm) straight for thatching. (See also helm v.3)
| 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 60 Sometimes..wee have beene forced to hawme wheate and rye stubble and there⁓with to thatch our stackes. 1767 A. Young Farmer's Lett. to People 205 Haulming, at one shilling and six-pence. 1846 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. VII. i. 40 Without having to wait for haulming the stubble. |