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willow

[ wil-oh ]
/ ˈwɪl oʊ /
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noun

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.Compare willow family.
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.

verb (used with object)

to treat (textile fibers) with a willow.

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Origin of willow

First recorded before 900; Middle English wilwe, variant of wilghe, Old English welig; cognate with Old Saxon wilgia, Dutch wilg, Low German wilge

OTHER WORDS FROM willow

wil·low·like, adjectivewil·low·ish, adjective

Words nearby willow

will-less, Willmar City, will not hear of, will-o'-the-wisp, Willoughby, willow, Willowbrook, willower, willow family, willow fly, willow grouse
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Words related to willow

olive, blue-green, fir, sap, jade, sage, moss, pine, forest, sea, grass, peacock, apple, spinach, verdigris, malachite, beryl, chartreuse, kelly, aquamarine

Example sentences from the Web for willow

British Dictionary definitions for willow (1 of 2)

willow
/ (ˈwɪləʊ) /

noun

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

Derived forms of willow

willowish or willow-like, adjective

Word Origin for willow

Old English welig; related to wilige wicker basket, Old Saxon wilgia, Middle High German wilge, Greek helikē willow, helix twisted

British Dictionary definitions for willow (2 of 2)

Willow

noun

a small town in S Alaska, about 113 km (70 miles) northwest of Anchorage: chosen as the site of the projected new state capital in 1976, a plan which never came to fruition. Pop: 1658 (2000)
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
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