mistletoe

IPA/ˈmɪsltəʊ/
KK[mˈɪsəltˌo]IPA/ˈmɪsltəʊ/

mistletoe — noun

1. a small evergreen plant that grows on the branches of trees, producing white ber

1.nounB1
Definition

a small evergreen plant that grows on the branches of trees, producing white berries. At Christmas, people often hang it in their homes, and there is a tradition of kissing someone who stands under it.

Example

Kevin hung a sprig of mistletoe above the doorway before the Christmas party began.

collocation: sprig of mistletoe

Elena stood under the mistletoe, and Jude gave her a kiss on the cheek.

collocation: stand under the mistletoe

Common collocations
  • sprig of mistletoe
  • bunch of mistletoe
  • hang mistletoe
  • stand under the mistletoe
  • kiss under the mistletoe

Usage Note

Usually uncountable — you say some mistletoe or a bunch of mistletoe, not a mistletoe. The phrase a sprig of mistletoe is the most common way to refer to one hanging piece. The kissing tradition is only associated with the Christmas holiday period.

Common Mistakes

I bought a mistletoe for the party.
I bought a sprig of mistletoe for the party.
Mistletoe is uncountable, so you need a sprig of / a bunch of to refer to one piece.
She decorated the room with mistletoe and holly berries.' (confusing mistletoe's white berries with holly's red ones)
She decorated the room with mistletoe and holly.
Mistletoe has white berries, holly has red berries.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Mistletoe, holly, and poinsettia are all plants used as Christmas decorations, but they differ in appearance and tradition. Mistletoe is a parasitic shrub with small white berries, hung from doorways for the tradition of kissing underneath it. Holly is an evergreen shrub with spiky, dark green leaves and bright red berries, often woven into wreaths or used in festive garlands. Poinsettia is a flowering houseplant with large red (or sometimes white or pink) leaves at the top of the stem, typically displayed in pots. While mistletoe and holly both grow in temperate climates and are associated with outdoor greenery, poinsettias are tropical plants native to Mexico. For example: 'The doorway was decorated with a bunch of mistletoe and a holly wreath.'

holly ↗poinsettia

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • sprig of mistletoe
  • bunch of mistletoe
  • kissing under the mistletoe
  • hang the mistletoe

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word mistletoe comes from Old English mistiltān, formed from mistel (meaning 'mistletoe') and tān (meaning 'twig'). Some language experts believe mistel may be related to the word 'mist,' possibly because the plant often grows in misty-looking clumps high in the trees, or because the sticky berries were spread by birds and mistel meant 'dung' in an older Germanic sense. The plant has been associated with winter traditions since ancient times — the Druids considered it sacred, and the Norse story of the god Baldur (killed by an arrow made of mistletoe) gave the plant a deep place in European mythology. The modern custom of kissing under the mistletoe became popular in Victorian England.