Meaning & use
mistletoe
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Meaning
noununcountable
A parasitic evergreen plant with white berries that grows on trees and is used as a Christmas decoration.
Grammar: Usually uncountable when referring to the plant or decoration: 'a sprig of mistletoe'. Rarely used as a countable noun for individual plants.
Patterns
- a sprig of mistletoe
- under the mistletoe
- kiss under the mistletoe
They hung a ball of mistletoe above the doorway.
In many Western countries, people kiss under the mistletoe at Christmas.
Mistletoe gets water and nutrients from the tree it grows on.
Common combinations
- sprig of mistletoe
- She tied a red ribbon around a sprig of mistletoe.
- under the mistletoe
- They stood under the mistletoe and everyone cheered.
- mistletoe kiss
- The tradition of a mistletoe kiss is still popular at holiday parties.
- mistletoe plant
- The mistletoe plant is actually a parasite that harms its host tree.
Commonly confused: mistletoe or missile?
mistletoe vs missile
A weapon that is fired, not a plant. The spelling is different: 'missile' has 'ile', 'mistletoe' has 'letoe'.
Practice
Where does mistletoe traditionally hang during Christmas?
Choose one answer.
Mistletoe is traditionally hung above a doorway so people can kiss under it. It is not typically placed on a Christmas tree or in the kitchen.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mistletoe”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.