Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
Mistletoe — Mis tle*toe, n. [AS. mistelt[=a]n; mistel mistletoe + t[=a]n twig. AS. mistel is akin of D., G., Dan. & Sw. mistel, OHG. mistil, Icel. mistilteinn; and AS. t[=a]n to D. teen, OHG. zein, Icel. teinn, Goth. tains. Cf. {Missel}.] (Bot.) A parasitic… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
mistletoe — [mis′əl tō΄] n. [OE misteltan (akin to ON mistilteinn) < mistel, mistletoe (prob. < Gmc * mista, dung: from being propagated by seeds in bird dung) + tan, a twig] 1. any of various evergreen plants (genera Phoradendron and Viscum) of the… … English World dictionary
Mistletoe — est le premier single extrait de l album Under the Mistletoe de Justin Bieber. Le single est sorti le 17 octobre 2011. Portail de la musique Catégories : Œuvre musicale … Wikipédia en Français
mistletoe — (n.) O.E. mistiltan, from mistel mistletoe (see MISSEL (Cf. missel)) + tan twig. Cf. O.N. mistilteinn, Norw. misteltein, Dan. mistelten. The second element is cognate with O.S., O.Fris. ten, O.N. teinn, Du. teen, O.H.G … Etymology dictionary
mistletoe — ► NOUN ▪ an evergreen parasitic plant which grows on broadleaf trees and bears white berries in winter. ORIGIN Old English … English terms dictionary
Mistletoe — For other uses, see Mistletoe (disambiguation). European mistletoe attached to a silver birch Mistletoe is the common name for obligate hemi parasitic plants in several families in the order Santalales. The plants in question grow attached to and … Wikipedia
mistletoe — /mis euhl toh /, n. 1. a European plant, Viscum album, having yellowish flowers and white berries, growing parasitically on various trees, used in Christmas decorations. 2. any of several other related, similar plants, as Phoradendron serotinum,… … Universalium
mistletoe — The reputation of mistletoe was created by Pliny in his Natural History (AD 77). He wrote that in Gaul the *Druids thought it sacred if it grew on an oak (which it rarely does); they believed it protected against injury by fire or water, made… … A Dictionary of English folklore
mistletoe — noun Etymology: Middle English mistilto, from Old English misteltān, from mistel mistletoe + tān twig; akin to Old High German & Old Saxon mistil mistletoe and to Old High German zein twig Date: before 12th century a European semiparasitic green… … New Collegiate Dictionary
mistletoe — [OE] Mistletoe is a mystery word. It means literally ‘mistletoe twig’, and comes from an Old English compound misteltān formed from mistel ‘mistletoe’ and tān ‘twig’. The origins of mistel, however (which has relatives in German mistil and Dutch… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
