mistletoe
pronunciation
How to pronounce mistletoe in British English:
UK [ˈmɪsltəʊ]
How to pronounce mistletoe in American English:
US [ˈmɪsltoʊ]
-
- Noun:
- American plants closely resembling Old World mistletoe
- Old World parasitic shrub having branching greenish stems with leathery leaves and waxy white glutinous berries; the traditional mistletoe of Christmas
- shrub of central and southeastern Europe; partially parasitic on beeches, chestnuts and oaks
Word Origin
- mistletoe
- mistletoe: [OE] Mistletoe is a mystery word. It means literally ‘mistletoe twig’, and comes from an Old English compound misteltān formed from mistel ‘mistletoe’ and tān ‘twig’. The origins of mistel, however (which has relatives in German mistil and Dutch and Swedish mistel), are unknown. The mistle thrush [18], or missel thrush, got its name from its predilection for mistletoe berries.
- mistletoe (n.)
- Old English mistiltan, from mistel "mistletoe" (see missel) + tan "twig." Similar formation in Old Norse mistilteinn, Norwegian misteltein, Danish mistelten. The second element is cognate with Old Saxon and Old Frisian ten, Old Norse teinn, Dutch teen, Old High German zein, Gothic tains "twig." Venerated by the Druids; the custom of hanging it at Christmas and kissing under it is mentioned by Washington Irving.
Example
- 1. Remember that next time you catch somebody under the mistletoe at christmas .
- 2. The magical properties of mistletoe will be familiar to any fan of asterix .
- 3. A mistletoe in england would be hanging in a doorway in the shape of a ball .
- 4. The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at christmas comes from the belief that mistletoe aids fertility .
- 5. Farmers were not weeding enough , they were not spraying their trees sufficiently and were allowing mistletoe to grow on them .