Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
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).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Synonyms: miseleden, misselden, misseldine
Antonyms: none provided
noun
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
shrub of central and southeastern Europe; partially parasitic on beeches, chestnuts and oaks
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: Loranthus europaeus
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: parasitic plant
noun
Old World parasitic shrub having branching greenish stems with leathery leaves and waxy white glutinous berries; the traditional mistletoe of Christmas
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: Viscum album, Old World mistletoe
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: parasitic plant
noun
American plants closely resembling Old World mistletoe
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: false mistletoe
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: parasitic plant
Narrower terms: American mistletoe, Phoradendron serotinum, Phoradendron flavescens
History
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”).
Across languages
116 source translations are retained for this English entry.
