Definition

Noun: 1. A small, parasitic plant (Phoradendron leucarpum) with scalelike leaves on reddish-brown stems and white berrylike fruits. It is the traditional North American plant used as Christmas decoration. 2. A small, parasitic herb (Arceuthobium pusillum) with scalelike leaves on reddish-brown stems and berrylike fruits, specifically parasitic on spruce and larch trees.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We hung a sprig of American mistletoe in the doorway for the holiday party.
  • The forester identified American mistletoe as a parasite weakening the spruce trees.

Advanced Usage

• Botanical Context: In precise botanical terms, the common name "American mistletoe" can refer to different species depending on the region and host tree. The Christmas decoration is typically , which grows on deciduous trees like oak. The species parasitic on conifers (spruce, larch) is , sometimes called "eastern dwarf mistletoe."
  • The American mistletoe found on the oak tree is a different species from the one infecting the spruce stand.

Variants and Related Words

• Mistletoe: The general term for plants in the order Santalales that are hemiparasitic (partially parasitic) on tree branches. European mistletoe () is a different species.
• Dwarf mistletoe: A common name for plants in the genus , including (the American mistletoe parasitic on conifers).

Synonyms

• Phoradendron leucarpum (scientific name for the common Christmas mistletoe).
• Eastern dwarf mistletoe (for the conifer-parasitizing species).
• Christmas mistletoe (referring to its decorative use).

Related Phrases & Idioms

• Kissing under the mistletoe: A Christmas tradition where people are expected to kiss if they meet under a hanging sprig of mistletoe. In America, this specifically involves American mistletoe.
  • According to tradition, they had to kiss because they were standing under the American mistletoe.

Noun

1. small herb with scalelike leaves on reddish-brown stems and berrylike fruits; parasitic on spruce and larch trees
2. the traditional mistletoe of Christmas in America: grows on deciduous trees and can severely weaken the host plant