mistletoe
English
/ˈmɪs(ə)ltəʊ/, /ˈmɪsəlˌtoʊ/
noun
Definitions
- (countable) Any of several 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 or ().
- (uncountable) 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.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English mistel-tō inherited from Old English misteltān compound from English mistle + English tan (twig)root from Proto-Indo-European *h₃meyǵʰ- (urinate).
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*h₃meyǵʰ-
Gloss
urinate
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- arctan English
- bird English
- mistle English
- mistletoebird English
- mistletoed English
- overtan English
- permatan English
- suntan English
- tan English
- tanaholic English
- tanbark English
- tanling English
- tannability English
- tannable English
- tannage English
- tanner English
- tannery English
- tannish English
- tanoak English
- tanpit English
- tanyard English
- micturīre Latin
- Zain German
- tan French
- tanner French
- ὀμείχω Ancient Greek
- *h₃meyǵʰ- Proto-Indo-European
- *h₃méyǵʰeti Proto-Indo-European
- *mīganą Proto-Germanic
- misteltān Old English
- mistel Middle English
- mistel-tō Middle English
- tano Ido
- zein Middle High German
- *meiɣjō Proto-Italic