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Glite Dictionary
hexenbesen

hexenbesen

9.9
A thick cluster of small branches that grows from one spot on a tree, often after fungus or insect damage
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : escoba de bruja
  • The oak tree in the garden developed a distinctive hexenbesen after a severe fungal infection.

Examples

  • A large hexenbesen can weaken the branches of susceptible species.

  • Botanists studied the hexenbesen to determine the cause of its rapid growth.

  • Look at that hexenbesen!

  • The hexenbesen on that old oak tree is quite unusual.

  • The oak tree in the garden developed a distinctive hexenbesen after a severe fungal infection.

  • Botanists studied the hexenbesen to determine the cause of its rapid growth.

  • A large hexenbesen can weaken the branches of susceptible species.

Synonyms

witch broom
vshexenbesen
  • Specialized
9.9

A dense cluster of twigs growing from one point on a tree

has identical meaning but uses a different written form
witches' broom
vshexenbesen
  • Specialized
9.9

A dense cluster of small branches on a tree caused by disease or insects

has identical meaning but uses an alternative spelling or punctuation
staghead
vshexenbesen
  • Specialized
9.9

A tuft of small dead branches on a tree caused by disease or insect attack

has identical meaning but is a different conventional name

Surface Forms

hexenbesen singular
hexenbesen plural

Etymology

Hexenbesen comes from the German words hexen ('witch') and besen ('broom'), because people thought the strange growth looked like a witch's broom. So a hexenbesen is the name for a thick, broom-like cluster of small branches that grows on trees because of fungus, insects, or other damage, which is why the name fits today.