wisteria

American

[wi-steer-ee-uh] / wɪˈstɪər i ə /

Also wistaria

noun

any climbing shrub belonging to the genus Wisteria, of the legume family, having showy, pendent clusters of blue-violet, white, purple, or rose flowers.

wisteria British

/ wɪˈstɪərɪə /

noun

any twining leguminous woody climbing plant of the genus Wisteria, of E Asia and North America, having blue, purple, or white flowers in large drooping clusters

"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

Etymology

Origin of wisteria

< New Latin Wistaria (1818), named after Caspar Wistar (1761–1818), U.S. anatomist; see -ia

Vocabulary lists containing wisteria

Some Obscure Eponyms

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Purple

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Words More Women Knew on the Ghent University Online Vocabulary Test

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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.

"I thought I would catch Lady Bridgerton at the Bridgerton House," she says, "but there were no wisteria or carriages to be seen."

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

She says it made her appreciate the show's dressing and post-production work, with the exterior transformed with wisteria and made to look like it was surrounded by other properties.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Bruce and Gill host the class once a year in the springtime, when their wisteria vines bloom with purple flowers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025

A venerable wisteria dripping with chains of purple blooms is breathtaking.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 9, 2024

A long porch was almost pulled down by an ancient wisteria vine.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023