mistletoe

mis·tle·toe

any of various evergreen plants (genera Phoradendron and Viscum) of the mistletoe family, parasitic on deciduous or evergreen trees, with small, yellowish-green leaves, yellowish flowers, and shiny, white, poisonous berries
a sprig of such a plant, hung as a Christmas decoration: by custom, people kiss when standing under it

Origin of mistletoe

Old English misteltan (akin to Old Norse mistilteinn) from mistel, mistletoe (prob. from Germanic an unverified form mista, dung: from being propagated by seeds in bird dung) + tan, a twig

designating a family (Loranthaceae, order Santalales) of parasitic, dicotyledonous shrubs and small trees

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"mistletoe." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 July 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Mistletoe>.

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mistletoe. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Mistletoe

mistletoe

noun

Any of various hemiparasitic plants of the order Santalales that grow on the branches of other plants, especially Viscum album of Eurasia and Phoradendron leucarpum of North America, both of which have leathery evergreen leaves and waxy white berries. Extracts of the Eurasian species are sometimes used for medicinal purposes.
A sprig of mistletoe, often used as a Christmas decoration.

Origin of mistletoe

Middle English mistelto back-formation from Old English misteltān ( tān ) ( taken for pl. of tā toe ) mistel mistletoe ; see meigh- in Indo-European roots. tān twig

mistletoe

American mistletoe

Phoradendron leucarpum

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"mistletoe." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 July 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Mistletoe>.

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mistletoe. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Mistletoe

Noun

(plural mistletoes)

Any of several parasitic evergreen plants with white berries that grow in the crowns of oaks, apple trees and other trees.
A sprig of these plants used as a Christmas decoration.

Usage notes

The term mistletoe is used for both Viscum album (European mistletoe) and Phoradendron leucarpum (eastern mistletoe).

Origin

Old English misteltÄn, from mistel "˜mistletoe' + tÄn "˜twig'. Compare mistle.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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MLA Style

"mistletoe." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 July 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Mistletoe>.

APA Style

mistletoe. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Mistletoe

mistletoe - Medical Definition

Any of various hemiparasitic plants of the order Santalales that grow on the branches of other plants, especially Viscum album of Eurasia and Phoradendron leucarpum of North America, both of which have leathery evergreen leaves and waxy white berries. Extracts of the Eurasian species are sometimes used for medicinal purposes.

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MLA Style

"mistletoe." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 17 July 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Mistletoe>.

APA Style

mistletoe. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Mistletoe

mistletoe

mistletoe

mistletoe - Medical Definition

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mistletoe

mistletoe

mistletoe - Medical Definition

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