any tree or shrub of the genus Salix, characterized by narrow, lance-shaped leaves and dense catkins bearing small flowers, many species having tough, pliable twigs or branches used for wickerwork, etc.
the wood of any of these trees.
Informal. something, especially a cricket bat, made of willow wood.
Also called willower, willy. a machine consisting essentially of a cylinder armed with spikes revolving within a spiked casing, for opening and cleaning cotton or other fiber.
any of numerous salicaceous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix, such as the weeping willow and osiers of N temperate regions, which have graceful flexible branches, flowers in catkins, and feathery seeds
the whitish wood of certain of these trees
something made of willow wood, such as a cricket or baseball bat
a machine having a system of revolving spikes for opening and cleaning raw textile fibres
First recorded before 900; Middle English wilwe, variant of wilghe, Old English welig; cognate with Old Saxon wilgia, Dutch wilg, Low German wilge
A willow is a tree with long, flexible branches and very small leaves. If you're looking for a picnic spot, the wide, green canopy of a willow provides great shade on a hot summer day. Most willow trees grow near water or in damp locations, as their roots soak up great quantities of moisture and can be used to protect the banks of rivers and streams from erosion. Willow branches are also commonly woven together to make baskets. A "weeping willow" has distinctive, graceful branches that curve down toward the ground.
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Meanwhile, pollen preserved in nearby sediments revealed a variety of wetland plants, including reeds, sedges, willow, tamarisk, and aquatic vegetation.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
Plans for the floodplain land include coppicing mature alder trees and managing willow growth to support a greater diversity of plants and wildlife.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
She said the group was always on the lookout for new arrivals and had already recorded the willow emerald damselfly, the southern oak bush cricket and the purple emperor butterfly, as more species travelled north.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
The infested willow plants were sold in 15 counties, mostly across Southern and Central California between June 24 and July 3.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
As Torak followed the sound, the ground got stonier, and the trees shrank to waist-high birch and willow.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Playing Nikki, who, under the spell of the One Wish Willow displays extreme emotions, was exactly the kind of acting challenge she needed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Iger is a close friend of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who introduced Iger to his wife, Willow Bay, in the 1990s when she hosted the television show “NBA Inside Stuff.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
He and his wife, Willow Bay, purchased a controlling interest in the National Women's Soccer League's Angel City FC in 2024.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Ken Marshall, from Wakefield, has owned his boat Willow for about eight years.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
I picture Kim and Willow becoming friends, even though there are twenty years between them.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
The corner of the yard, shaded by mesquite and shoestring willows, had fallen conspicuously quiet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
She has planted meadows, willows, hedgerows, tussocky grasses and late-flowering crops to give insects food through the summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Among them, the height to volume model was applied to heavily browsed willows with unusual growth forms, even though the model was not designed for such distorted shapes.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026
The vast Grand Palais exhibition space in central Paris was transformed into an enchanted forest populated by giant mushrooms and pink weeping willows as stars from Nicole Kidman to Dua Lipa looked on.
From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026
“But we were outnumbered. The train brings tourists. The blue willows bring hummingbears. Everybody should be happy. Only it doesn’t always work out that way.”
From "Willodeen" by Katherine Applegate
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
