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.
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, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use willow in a sentence
The bundles of grass are opened up, shaken out, and put through a willowing machine.
The Manufacture of Paper|Robert Walter SindallTwilly, twil′i, n. a cotton-cleaning machine: willowing-machine.
The order of the manufacturing processes is as follows:—mixing, willowing, teasing, scribbling and carding.
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, adjectiveWord 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
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