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Definition of "mistletoe" []

  • A Eurasian parasitic shrub (Viscum album) having leathery evergreen leaves and waxy white berries. (noun)
  • Any of several American parasitic shrubs, such as Phoradendron flavescens of eastern North America. (noun)
  • A sprig of mistletoe, often used as a Christmas decoration. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "mistletoe" in a sentence
  • "-- The word "mistletoe" comes from the Anglo-Saxon words for "dung" ( 'mistel') and the word for "twig" ( 'tan'), which appropriately describe mistletoe's origin of sprouting where a bird leaves its droppings."
  • "A Christmas kiss under the mistletoe is an old English tradition."
  • "The mistletoe is a fascinating plant, a parasite that behaves like a vampire, sucking out water and minerals from living trees."