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.
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.
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
First recorded before 900; Middle English wilwe, variant of wilghe, Old English welig; cognate with Old Saxon wilgia, Dutch wilg, Low German wilge
A willow is a tree with long, flexible branches and very small leaves. If you're looking for a picnic spot, the wide, green canopy of a willow provides great shade on a hot summer day. Most willow trees grow near water or in damp locations, as their roots soak up great quantities of moisture and can be used to protect the banks of rivers and streams from erosion. Willow branches are also commonly woven together to make baskets. A "weeping willow" has distinctive, graceful branches that curve down toward the ground.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The infested willow plants were sold in 15 counties, mostly across Southern and Central California between June 24 and July 3.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
She played a full summer for Hampshire, solely contributing with willow in hand.
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
According to the new analysis, that figure was derived from a statistical model that used plant height to both calculate willow volume and predict it.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026
"Leather on willow, country pubs and just the loveliness of England," she muses wistfully.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Christopher crouched in the willow tree, breathing hard.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Seconds after her aspirant boyfriend, Bear, snaps the One Wish Willow to make her fall in love with him, she walks back out of her house, a little sheepish and newly smitten.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Willow, Xander and the rest of the Sunnydale Scoobies discover in the show’s sixth season, the world starts to crumble around them.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
Katz, who takes his $3 million Gordon Murray T.50 on grocery runs and has driven on private racetracks, said demand for places like Willow Springs is driven by this new generation of wealthy car enthusiasts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
The only pet mentioned in her memoir, however, is Willow, the gray tabby Jill adopted after encountering the cat in a Pennsylvania barn on the campaign trail.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
The great shape of the dog had bounded out from the roots of the Willow.
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
She has planted meadows, willows, hedgerows, tussocky grasses and late-flowering crops to give insects food through the summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Among them, the height to volume model was applied to heavily browsed willows with unusual growth forms, even though the model was not designed for such distorted shapes.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 14, 2026
The vast Grand Palais exhibition space in central Paris was transformed into an enchanted forest populated by giant mushrooms and pink weeping willows as stars from Nicole Kidman to Dua Lipa looked on.
From Barron's ● Jan. 27, 2026
The water is low, but clear, lined with the shade of willows.
From Salon ● Nov. 8, 2025
He threaded among willows and sycamores and wild blackberry vines in the riverbed, patted the trunks of live oak and scrub oak, madrone, laurel, toyon.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
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.
