osier

[ oh-zher ]

/ ˈoʊ ʒər /

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noun

any of various willows, as the red osier, having tough, flexible twigs or branches that are used for wickerwork.

a twig from such a willow.

any of various North American dogwoods.

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Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of osier

1300–50; Middle English <Middle French; akin to Medieval Latin ausāria willow bed

OTHER WORDS FROM osier

osiered, adjectiveo·sier·like, adjective

Words nearby osier

Oshawa, Oshkosh, Oshogbo, Oshun, OSI, osier, Osijek, Osiris, -osis, -osity, Oskaloosa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use osier in a sentence

A variety of colors was the only ornament of their wooden or osier shields.
The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|Edward Gibbon
Their roads were marvels of engineering construction, but they could not build bridges except frail ones made out of osier cables.
South American Fights and Fighters|Cyrus Townsend Brady
But the youngest sister would not hear of it, and they all rose out of sight in their osier basket.
The Myths of the North American Indians|Lewis Spence
In those days the lazy waters of the Loire flowed midst osier-beds and birchen thickets, since removed for purposes of navigation.
The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2 (of 2)|Anatole France

The shields displayed their texture of osier or bull-tendon, destitute of their coverings of hide.
Snnica|Vicente Blasco Ibez

British Dictionary definitions for osier

osier

/ (ˈəʊzɪə) /

noun

any of various willow trees, esp Salix viminalis, whose flexible branches or twigs are used for making baskets, etc

a twig or branch from such a tree

any of several North American dogwoods, esp the red osier

Word Origin for osier

C14: from Old French, probably from Medieval Latin ausēria, perhaps of Gaulish origin; compare Breton aoz

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