Mistletoe

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
mistletoe
    n 1: American plants closely resembling Old World mistletoe
         [syn: {mistletoe}, {false mistletoe}]
    2: Old World parasitic shrub having branching greenish stems
       with leathery leaves and waxy white glutinous berries; the
       traditional mistletoe of Christmas [syn: {mistletoe}, {Viscum
       album}, {Old World mistletoe}]
    3: shrub of central and southeastern Europe; partially parasitic
       on beeches, chestnuts and oaks [syn: {mistletoe}, {Loranthus
       europaeus}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
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 evergreen plant of Europe ({Viscum album}),
   bearing a glutinous fruit. When found upon the oak, where it
   is rare, it was an object of superstitious regard among the
   Druids. A bird lime is prepared from its fruit. [Written also
   {misletoe}, {misseltoe}, and {mistleto}.] --Lindley.
   --Loudon.
   [1913 Webster]

   Note: The mistletoe of the United States is {Phoradendron
         serotinum} (syn. {Phoradendron flavescens}), having
         broader leaves than the European kind. In different
         regions various similar plants are called by this name.
         The mistletoe is used as a decoration at Christmas
         time, and it is a tradition that two persons of the
         oposite sex finding each other under a mistletoe sprig
         should kiss.
         [1913 Webster +PJC]
    
from U.S. Gazetteer (1990)
Mistletoe, KY
  Zip code(s): 41351
    

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