onstead

O1N1S1T1E1A1D2

noun

A single farmhouse; a steading.

Scrabble 8
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounonstead (plural onsteads)

plural onsteads

  1. ScotlandUKarchaicdialectalA single farmhouse; a steading.

    The farm onsteads on many properties are old, and afford too little accommodation

    1737, Mr David Wilson, “on the Present State of the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire”, in Prize-essays and Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland
    2 more examples

    The onstead, which is nearly the same as when inhabited by the poet, lies about seven miles from the town, on the right hand side of the road, surrounded by a few trees.

    1828, Robert Chambers, The Picture of Scotland, volume 1, page 232

    We then did a house at Mowhaugh, and a farm-house at Stodrig, and a part of an onstead. I did the wrightwork of a house at Bemersyde, and an onstead at Butchercote.

    1875, Rev. John Thomson, Life and Times of William Thomson

Origin

With loss of original w-, due to Scandinavian una (“to reside, dwell”), from *wonstead, from wone (“to reside, dwell”) + stead. More at wone, stead. Alternatively, possibly a corruption of homestead.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

onstead. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onstead

MLA

“onstead.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onstead. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “onstead,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/onstead.

Source: onstead on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.