mistle

1 9.9

An old word for a small green plant with white berries used at Christmas

noun
/ˈmɪsəl/

Archaic

: muérdago

At breakfast, the loud, melancholy song of the mistle thrush was already echoing from the top of the walnut tree.

Examples

During the festive season, many people hang mistletoe in their homes as a decoration.
The couple stood under the mistletoe, sharing a kiss as tradition suggests.
In winter, it is common to see mistletoe with its white berries adorning doorways.

Synonyms

mistletoe

vsmistle

35 4.1

A small green plant with white berries that people hang in doorways at Christmas

is an older, rare term used in the past instead of the common name

Compounds

mistle thrush

1 8.8

A large brown songbird with a speckled chest that eats mistletoe berries

Surface Forms

mistle singular

mistles plural

Etymology

Mistle is an old short form of mistletoe. The name probably comes from an old word meaning 'dung', because birds spread the plant's sticky white berries onto 'twigs' so it looked like 'dung on a twig', and that image is why mistle means the small Christmas plant with white berries.