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Definition of "willow" []

  • Any of various deciduous trees or shrubs of the genus Salix, having usually narrow leaves, unisexual flowers borne in catkins, and strong lightweight wood. (noun)
  • The wood of any of these trees. (noun)
  • Something, such as a cricket bat, that is made from willow. (noun)
  • A textile machine consisting of a spiked drum revolving inside a chamber fitted internally with spikes, used to open and clean unprocessed cotton or wool. (noun)
  • To open and clean (textile fibers) with a willow. (verb-transitive)

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 "willow" in a sentence
  • "_Pussy willow, Glaucous willow_ 40, 41, 171 falcata, Pursh _Black willow_ 42 fragilis, L. _Crack willow, Brittle willow_ 43-45 nigra, Marsh."
  • "Dwarf willow is the only "tree" species up there and it grows along the ground between the rocks. jjjp"
  • "A section of a branch of birch or willow from the north only a couple of inches in diameter will show one or two hundred annual rings."