mistletoe

[mis-uh l-toh]

noun

a European plant, Viscum album, having yellowish flowers and white berries, growing parasitically on various trees, used in Christmas decorations.

any of several other related, similar plants, as Phoradendron serotinum, of the U.S.: the state flower of Oklahoma.

Origin of mistletoe

before 1000; Middle English mistelto, apparently back formation from Old English misteltān (mistel mistletoe, basil + tān twig), the -n being taken as plural ending; cognate with Old Norse mistilteinn

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mistletoe

Contemporary Examples of mistletoe

Eventually, the mistletoe bush grows, blooms, and forms berries, and the cycle begins anew.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants
Helen Thompson
December 21, 2014
Mistletoe is basically a vampire—but one of those an anti-hero type vampires.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants
Helen Thompson
December 21, 2014
In a dramatic twist on mistletoe reproduction, their seeds explode, literally.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants
Helen Thompson
December 21, 2014
“Mistletoe infections can be a symptom of larger problems,” notes Shaw.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants
Helen Thompson
December 21, 2014
Mistletoes infections can kill individual trees and stands of trees, and most mistletoe species attack specific tree species.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants
Helen Thompson
December 21, 2014

Historical Examples of mistletoe

Loki stood by him and directed his hand as Hodur threw the mistletoe.
Classic Myths
Mary Catherine Judd
Girls, although they be ladies, are kissed under the mistletoe.
Christmas: Its Origin and Associations
William Francis Dawson
And he said, in a very low voice, 'I didn't dare to kiss you under the mistletoe.'
Four Days
Hetty Hemenway
"It's like the chest in the 'Mistletoe Bough,'" cried Blanche.
Hunter's Marjory
Margaret Bruce Clarke
The pictures on the walls were covered with holly and mistletoe.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 103, December 24, 1892
Various

British Dictionary definitions for mistletoe

mistletoe

noun

a Eurasian evergreen shrub, Viscum album, with leathery leaves, yellowish flowers, and waxy white berries: grows as a partial parasite on various trees: used as a Christmas decoration: family Viscaceae

any of several similar and related American plants in the families Loranthaceae or Viscaceae, esp Phoradendron flavescens

mistletoe cactus an epiphytic cactus, Rhipsalis cassytha, that grows in tropical America

Word Origin for mistletoe

Old English misteltān, from mistel mistletoe + tān twig; related to Old Norse mistilteinn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for mistletoe

Old English mistiltan, from mistel "mistletoe" (see missel) + tan "twig." Cf. Old Norse mistilteinn, Norwegian misteltein, Danish mistelten. The second element is cognate with Old Saxon and Old Frisian ten, Old Norse teinn, Dutch teen, Old High German zein, Gothic tains "twig." Venerated by the Druids; the custom of hanging it at Christmas and kissing under it is mentioned by Washington Irving.