Viscum
/ˈvɪskəm/noun
A botanical name for mistletoe, especially plants of the genus Viscum, and historically a Latin term for birdlime.
Did you know?In classical Latin, viscum referred not only to mistletoe but also to the adhesive made from its berries, while Roman writers recorded mistletoe as a plant of ritual significance.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
viscum
“Mistletoe; also birdlime, an adhesive traditionally made from plant material”
1st Century CE
Latin
viscum
“A plant and sticky substance discussed in Roman natural-history writing, including accounts of mistletoe and birdlime”
Late Latin
Latin
viscum
“Mistletoe or birdlime; the noun continued in learned and botanical usage”
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin
viscum
“Mistletoe and related sticky plant preparations in medical, natural-history, and ecclesiastical texts”
18th Century
Scientific Latin
Viscum
“Adopted as the formal genus name for mistletoe plants”
Modern English
English
viscum
“A learned botanical term referring chiefly to the genus Viscum or to mistletoe”