mistletoe
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mistletoe
- /ˈmɪs(ə)ltəʊ/ UK
- /ˈmɪz(ə)ltəʊ/ UK
- /ˈmɪsəlˌtoʊ/ US
- /ˈmɪzəlˌtoʊ/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English mistelto, mistilto (“European mistletoe”), from Old English misteltān (“mistletoe”), from mistel (“mistletoe; basil; birdlime”) + tān (“sprig, shoot, twig”), possibly as a calque of Old Norse mistilteinn; equivalent to mistle + tan (“twig”). This was mistaken for the plural of tā (“toe”).
Cognate with Danish mistelten (“mistletoe”), Norwegian misteltein (“mistletoe”), Icelandic mistilteinn (“mistletoe”). Compare also the simplex form West Frisian mistel (“mistletoe”), Dutch mistel (“mistletoe”), German Mistel (“mistletoe”), Swedish mistel (“mistletoe”).
noun mistletoes · misleto · miseltoe · misletoe · mistle-toe · misseltoe
-
Any of numerous hemiparasitic evergreen plants of the order Santalales with white berries that grow in the crowns of apple trees, oaks, and other trees, such as the European mistletoe (Viscum album) and American mistletoe or eastern mistletoe (Phoradendron leucarpum).
(all obsolete or archaic)
Similar: miseleden, misselden, misseldine
- A sprig of one such plant used as a Christmas decoration, associated with the custom that a man may kiss any woman standing beneath it. Miſtletoe! why I know what that is, as we garniſh our Houſe with it every Year, at Chriſtmas.
Translations
Every language
noun any of several hemiparasitic evergreen plants of the order Santalales
| Español | liga, muérdago, visco |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 겨우살이 gyeousari |
| 日本語 | 宿木 yadorigi |
| 中文 | 槲寄生 hújìshēng |
| Português | erva-de-passarinho, visco, visgo |
| Français | gui |
| Deutsch | Mistel |
| Italiano | vischio |
| Ελληνικά | ιξός ixós, γκι gki |
| Română | vâsc |
| Русский | оме́ла oméla |
| Tiếng Việt | tầm gửi |
| العربية | دِبْق dibq, نَبَات طُفَيْلِيّ nabāt ṭufayliyy |
| עברית | דִּבְקוֹן divkón |
noun sprig of one such plant used as a Christmas decoration
| Русский | омела omela |
|---|
Talk about this word "mistletoe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/mistletoe. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. mistletoe. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/mistletoe "mistletoe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/mistletoe.Cite this
@misc{mistletoe_2026,
title = {mistletoe},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/mistletoe},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
