Mistle
/ˈmɪs.əl/noun
A parasitic evergreen plant, especially one associated with winter traditions and kissing customs.
Did you know?The word is the first half of Old English *mistel*, and the plant’s association with winter rites made it feel uncanny long before modern Christmas traditions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*mīstilaz
“mistletoe; the parasitic plant”
Old English
OE
mistel
“mistletoe”
Middle English
ME
mistel
“mistletoe”
Modern English
EN
mistle
“A truncated form of mistletoe, chiefly in poetic or decorative use”