witch hazel

[ wich-hey-zuhl ]

/ ˈwɪtʃ ˌheɪ zəl /

Save This Word!

noun

a shrub, Hamamelis virginiana, of eastern North America, having toothed, egg-shaped leaves and small, yellow flowers.Compare witch hazel family.

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.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of witch hazel

1535–45; witch, variant of wych (see wych elm)

Words nearby witch hazel

witches'-broom, witches' butter, witches' Sabbath, witchetty grub, witch grass, witch hazel, witch hazel family, witch hobble, witch hunt, witching, witching hour

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use witch hazel in a sentence

He sent for a conjuror to come, with his metallic rods and witch-hazel, to find the stolen money.
Select Speeches of Daniel Webster|Daniel Webster
I offered sympathy and witch-hazel, but she would have none of my offerings, and presently returned to her pies.
In Search of the Unknown|Robert W. Chambers
Nine withes of witch hazel, banded together, is used as a rustic appliance to guard against witching influence.
Notes and Queries for Worcestershire|John Noake
Then he plucked two twigs of a witch hazel that grew near by, and they all proceeded to the beach.
Edmund Dulacs Fairy-Book|Edmund Dulac

How comes the witch-hazel to be the one exception, and to celebrate its floral nuptials on the funeral day of its foliage?
A Year in the Fields|John Burroughs

British Dictionary definitions for witch hazel

witch hazel

wych-hazel

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

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