witch hazel
Americannoun
-
a shrub, Hamamelis virginiana, of eastern North America, having toothed, egg-shaped leaves and small, yellow flowers.
-
a liquid extraction from the leaves or bark of this plant mixed with water and alcohol, used externally as a liniment for inflammations and bruises and as an astringent.
noun
-
any of several trees and shrubs of the genus Hamamelis, esp H. virginiana, of North America, having ornamental yellow flowers and medicinal properties: family Hamamelidaceae
-
an astringent medicinal solution containing an extract of the bark and leaves of H. virginiana, applied to treat bruises, inflammation, etc
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of witch hazel
1535–45; witch, variant of wych ( see wych elm)
Compare meaning
How does witch-hazel compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The caterpillars’ behavior raised many questions, including this unsettling one: How did they manage to find every witch hazel relative in my garden, as if they possessed some kind of botanical GPS?
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 13, 2022
She took out her arsenal — Purell and witch hazel wipes — “all we could get at CVS” — and started cleaning her tray table and armrest.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 14, 2020
Finally, the easiest plants to prune are witch hazel, cotoneaster, enkianthus, PeeGee hydrangea, climbing roses, tree peonies and many viburnums.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 26, 2019
He is known for giving what he calls a “gentleman cut, no crazy look, high class, clean-cut,” and for using old-fashioned supplies like witch hazel, cotton necklaces to catch loose hair and monogrammed capes.
From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2018
She washed witch hazel over the rupture and taped me tightly with extra-long Band- Aids.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
