mistletoe

[ mis-uh l-toh ]

/ ˈmɪs əlˌtoʊ /

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.

Nearby words

mistigris, mistime, misting, mistinguett, mistle thrush, mistletoe, mistletoe bird, mistletoe cactus, mistook, mistral, mistral, frédéric

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

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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
“Mistletoe infections can be a symptom of larger problems,” notes Shaw.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants|Helen Thompson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In a dramatic twist on mistletoe reproduction, their seeds explode, literally.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants|Helen Thompson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
Mistletoe was the only thing in the world which had not sworn not to harm Baldur.
The Book of Hallowe'en|Ruth Edna Kelley
It was late in April when she went down to Mistletoe, the marriage having been fixed for the 3rd of May.
The American Senator|Anthony Trollope
But Mordacks returned, as an honest man should do, to put the laurel and the mistletoe on his proper household gods.
Mary Anerley|R. D. Blackmore
There was a good deal of laughing, and somebody called for the song, “The Mistletoe Bough.”
Johnny Ludlow, Third Series|Mrs. Henry Wood
The professor wrote about her in the newspapers; and every one who came to the neighbourhood had to go and look at the mistletoe.
The Old Willow Tree and Other Stories|Carl Ewald

British Dictionary definitions for mistletoe

mistletoe

/ (ˈmɪsəlˌtəʊ) /

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

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.