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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

willow en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwɪloʊ/ (US)
  • (Australia) audio
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈwɪl.əʊ/ (UK)

Etymology

From Middle English wilwe, welew, variant of wilghe, from Old English weliġ, from Proto-West Germanic *wilig, from Proto-Germanic *wiligaz, from Proto-Indo-European *welik- (compare (Arcadian) Ancient Greek ἑλίκη (helíkē), Hittite 𒌑𒂖𒆪 (welku, “grass”)), from *wel- (“twist, turn”). Cognate to West Frisian wylch and more distantly (via Proto-West Germanic *wilgijā) to Dutch wilg and German Wilge.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) Any of various deciduous trees or shrubs in the genus Salix, in the willow family Salicaceae, found primarily on moist soils in cooler zones in the northern hemisphere.
    • […] and through the middle of this forest, from wall to wall, ran a winding line of brilliant green which marked the course of cottonwoods and willows. 1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 8, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:
    • The pounded leaves of the willow, drunk in a concoction, were formerly reputed to diminish amatory desires. 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 249:
    • By old age she was emaciated, the bones jutting out of her face and her figure frail as a willow branch. 1983 December 3, J. R., “Isak Dinesen, The Life of a Storyteller (review)”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 20, page 10:
    • And willows, willow-herb, and grass, / And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry, / No whit less still and lonely fair / Than the high cloudlets in the sky. 1917, Edward Thomas, “Adlestrop”, in Poems, London: Selwyn & Blount, page 40:
    • Deep in the willow / Hidden from grace / Succumb to insecurity / Your final resting place / Crafting your perfect world, ignoring total truth / You'll die alone / There's only room for you 2023, “Deep in the Willow”, performed by Knocked Loose:
  2. (countable, uncountable) The wood of these trees.
  3. (colloquial, countable, uncountable) A cricket bat.
  4. (countable, slang, uncountable) The baseball bat.
  5. (countable, uncountable) A rotating spiked drum used to open and clean cotton heads.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
willows Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

narrowleaf willow · willow warbler · least willow · wolf willow · Peking willow · button willow · black willow · bitter willow · creeping willow · willow grouse · willow-weed · water willow · net-leaved willow · willow tit · glaucous willow · willow oak · goat willow · olive willow · fall willow · tea-leaved willow · sea-willow · Willow Bunch · strip the willow · pussy-willow · Newton-le-Willows · silky willow · Willowbank · arctic willow · prairie willow · Kilmarnock willow · Willowvale · willow goldfinch · bay willow · Willow Tree · Willowmavin · Willow Springs · Red Willow Creek · almond willow · balsam willow · willow-wort · almond-leaved willow · undergreen willow · Bedford willow · willow tree · rosemary willow · autumn willow · primrose-willow · Willow Canyon · sandbar willow · sea willow · Walsham le Willows · Barton-le-Willows · willow pattern · willow ragwort · Australian willow · Red Willow County · willowherb · bearberry willow · white willow · weeping willow · willow in the wind · polar willow · Willow Creek · willow ptarmigan · arroyo willow · Huntingdon willow · Willows · Kennicott's willow warbler · crack willow · French willow · downy willow · hoary willow · pussy willow · Babylon willow · Willow Vale · willow bustic · Willow Grove · coyote willow · basket willow · willow-leaved justicia · rosebay willow herb · sageleaf willow · peachleaf willow · desert willow · willow wren · willow fly

Synonyms

withy

Translations (238)

mk врба (tree) · akk 𒄑𒊮𒆗 (tree) · cmn 柳樹 /柳树 (tree) · vec salgaro (tree) · arc עַרְבְּתָא (tree) · mnc ᡶᠣᡩᠣᡥᠣ (tree) · lij sàrxo (tree) · cmn(tree) · qu wayaw (tree) · nv kʼaiʼ (tree) · crh tal (tree) · wuu(tree) · tyv тал (tree) · cy helygen (tree) · is víðir (tree) · udm бадьпу (tree) · se sieđga (tree) · ain スス (tree) · hy ուռենի (tree) · uz tol (tree) · sl vrba (tree) · ba тал (tree) · ca salze (tree) · it salice (tree) · sc sabixi (tree) · lez цӏвелин ттар (tree) · ga saileog (tree) · dsb wjerba (tree) · smn sieđgâ (tree) · hsb wjerba (tree) · lb Weid (tree) · yue 柳樹 /柳树 (tree) · vo salig (tree) · nds Wied (tree) · sah талах (tree) · chr ᏕᎴᎦᎵᏍ (tree) · gl xalce (tree) · nah wexotl (tree) · fo pílatræ (tree) · mus akwahnv (tree) · my မိုးမခ (tree) · oc sauce (tree) · ckb بی (tree) · enm wylow (tree) · be вярба (tree) · mhr уа (tree) · ar صَفْصَاف (tree) · nah uexotl (tree) · fur venčhâr (tree) · de Weidenbaum (tree) · fy wylch (tree) · udm бадь (tree) · ik uqpik (tree) · hu fűzfa (tree) · xdq жя́ра (tree) · sw mwerebi (tree) · ro salcie (tree) · oma thíxe (tree) · gv shellagh (tree) · lbe щавщи (tree) · eu sahats (tree) · et remmelgas (tree) · am አኻያ (tree) · arz صفصاف (tree) · th หลิว (tree) · rup saltsi (tree) · ote xits'o (tree) · cs vrba (tree) · arc ערבְתא (tree) · yi ווערבע (tree) · mi wirou (tree) · tr söğüt (tree) · mdf каль (tree) · za goliux (tree) · az söyüd (tree) · es sauz (tree) · fa بید (tree) · sv pil (tree) · ru ве́рба (tree) · kmr(tree) · taa k'wy' (tree) · arc חִילָּפָא (tree) · pua tarhemu (tree) · eo saliko (tree) · mn бургас мод (tree) · br haleg (tree) · syc ܥܱܪܒܬ݂ܴܐ (tree) · grc ἰτέα (tree) · da piletræ (tree) · frp sôge (tree) · tl sawse (tree) · sq shelg (tree) · zza viyale (diq) (tree) · tt тал (tree) · sc sagili (tree) · lt gluosnis (tree) · sux 𒄑𒊮𒆗 (tree) · ps وله (tree) · ko 버드나무 (tree) · kum тал (tree) · sc saliche (tree) · te ఒక విధమైన చెట్టు (tree) · it salcio (tree) · gl vimieiro (tree) · io saliko (tree) · gmy 𐀁𐀪𐀏 (tree) · vep raid (tree) · af wilger (tree) · pl wierzba (tree) · oc assaleç (tree) · nah huexotl (tree) · pox varbă (tree) · fur molec (tree) · sh врба (tree) · ga saileach (tree) · ar خِلَاف (tree) · no viere (tree) · tew yán (tree) · tk söwüt (tree) · grc ἑλίκη (tree) · ks ویٖر (tree) · ia salice (tree) · sh vrba (tree) · yur pahkʷoˀ (tree) · sah үөт (tree) · rup saltse (tree) · alt тал (tree) · vi liễu (tree) · gd seileach (tree) · no vierslekt (tree) · eve хят (tree) · xh umngcunube (tree) · tub ha·l (tree) · ka ტირიფი (tree) · de Weide (tree) · cku osi (tree) · gl sarga (tree) · uk верба́ (tree) · akk 𒄑𒁍 (tree) · hy ուռի (tree) · kla yaas (tree) · no vier (tree) · yue(tree) · krc тал (tree) · nhw uexotl (tree) · twf íałoną (tree) · sv vide (tree) · mr वाळुंज (tree) · kpv бадь (tree) · da pil (tree) · kjh тал (tree) · ast salgueru (tree) · lv vītols (tree) · bar Felbern (tree) · ky тал (tree) · scn sàlici (tree) · cu врьбиѥ (tree) · es mimbrera (tree) · sk vŕba (tree) · mzn فک (tree) · fy wylgebeam (tree) · wa(tree) · chy ménó'ke (tree) · ko 버들 (tree) · ar غَرَب (tree) · arp yookox (tree) · chl sáxat (tree) · izh paju (tree) · os хӕрис (tree) · udi соьйуьд (tree) · enm salow (tree) · prg apīwitwa (tree) · la salix (tree) · cr ᓃᐱᓰᕀ (tree) · akz ittokoowisa (tree) · myv каль (tree) · sw mierebi (tree) · dak chąthúhu (tree) · kk тал (tree) · cic shukchi im iti (tree) · es sauce (tree) · egy T:r-t-M1 (tree) · mn уд мод (tree) · sma sïerke (tree) · pt salgueiro (tree) · af wilg (tree) · el ιτιά (tree) · gl vimbieiro (tree) · klb ijáau (tree) · haw wīlou (tree) · ast salce (tree) · km ដើមសូល (tree) · koi бадь (tree) · gl trogalleiro (tree) · id dedalu (tree) · vls wulge (tree) · szl wiyrba (tree) · fur vencjâr (tree) · kw helygen (tree) · ltg veituls (tree) · smj siergga (tree) · fi paju (tree) · hu fűz (tree) · gl salgueiro (tree) · fr saule (tree) · pcc waixlux (tree) · ang wīþiġ (tree) · he עֲרָבָה (tree) · ce дак (tree) · sc saighi (tree) · ja(tree) · nan-hbl(tree) · mdf иса (tree) · ru и́ва (tree) · nl wilg (tree) · nci huexotl (tree) · syc ܗܶܠܴܦܴܐ (tree) · chr ᏗᎵᎦᎵᏍᎩ (tree) · hop qahavi (tree) · af wilgerboom (tree) · et paju (tree) · wym wajd (tree) · cu връба (tree) · sei paaij (tree) · ga sail (tree) · qu sawsi (tree) · oc salze (tree) · ab аԥслыш (tree) · fo pílur (tree) · oc sause (tree) · krl paju (tree) · bg върба (tree) · nch uexotl (tree) · bo ལྕང་མ (tree) · ady пцелы (tree) · oj oziisigobiminzh (tree) · mi whiro (tree) · nap salece (tree)

willow en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈwɪloʊ/ (US)
  • (Australia) audio
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈwɪl.əʊ/ (UK)

Etymology

From Middle English wilwe, welew, variant of wilghe, from Old English weliġ, from Proto-West Germanic *wilig, from Proto-Germanic *wiligaz, from Proto-Indo-European *welik- (compare (Arcadian) Ancient Greek ἑλίκη (helíkē), Hittite 𒌑𒂖𒆪 (welku, “grass”)), from *wel- (“twist, turn”). Cognate to West Frisian wylch and more distantly (via Proto-West Germanic *wilgijā) to Dutch wilg and German Wilge.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To open and cleanse (cotton, flax, wool, etc.) by means of a willow.
  2. (intransitive) To form a shape or move in a way similar to the long, slender branches of a willow.
    • It was floating a foot under the surface. The eyes were holes. The mouth was a slit cavern of darkness. The hair willowed around the scalp. 1985, Martin Booth, Hiroshima Joe, New York: Picador, page 394:
    • The draft-drawn smoke willowed down through the hole and across my face, but I didn’t worry about coughing or sneezing. 2013, Dean Koontz, Wilderness, Bantam Books:
    • Joe’s impulse was to sketch her, with her shadow willowing beyond her on the mouse-gray paving-stone; but his left fist, obeying instinct, remained clenched behind his back […] 1930, Talbot Mundy, chapter 7, in Black Light:
    • Willowing over the rough cobbles of the little pier stepped a thin, bent figure, adorned with a silver nanny-goat's beard and bobbling eyes interrupted by the rim of a pair of pince-nez. 1928, Robert Byron, “Gardenias and Sweetpeas”, in The Station: Athos: Treasures and Men, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, →OCLC, page 175:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
willowing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
willows Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
willowed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
willowed Tense=Past lexicographic