: any of a genus (Salix of the family Salicaceae, the willow family) of trees and shrubs bearing catkins of apetalous flowers and including forms of value for wood, osiers, or tanbark and a few ornamentals
Recent Examples on the WebOnce harvested, the buoyant tule reeds are wrapped around willow branches, which give each bundle rigidity, and then tied off with thin twine to hold them together.San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2022 Be sure to stop by The Rookery, a human-sized birds’ nest made from willow branches — ideal for kids (and kids at heart).Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2022 Under the greener, fuller canopy of cottonwood and willow trees runs Cienega Creek, stretching 23 miles through La Cienegas National Conservation Area, adjacent to the Coronado National Forest. Joe Duhownik, The Arizona Republic, 22 Aug. 2022 Gathering fat acorns in baskets woven from willow branches. Carolyn Wells, Longreads, 24 Mar. 2022 The True Botanicals Repair Nightly Treatment is infused with black willow bark extract, hyaluronic acid, and olive leaf extract to resurface skin (and combat breakouts) for a supple, hydrated appearance. Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2022 The river is also home to the willow flycatcher and yellow-billed cuckoo. Meryl Kornfield, Anchorage Daily News, 23 July 2022 His clientele was predominantly courting couples and young families who tied up their horses to six black sidewalk posts or rode trolleys among the white willow trees that had been planted in Salem, Mass., almost a century earlier. David Shribman, WSJ, 21 July 2022 Gambel oaks, boxelder, New Mexico locust and a tangle of the eponymous willow trees clutter the slopes. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English wilghe, wilowe, from Old English welig; akin to Middle High German wilge willow
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of willow was before the 12th century