Willow Meaning
/ˈwɪl.əʊ/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny of various deciduous trees or shrubs in the genus Salix, in the willow family Salicaceae, found primarily on moist soils in cooler zones in the northern hemisphere.
nounThe wood of these trees.
Sentence Examples
In our Mediterranean forest, there are lots of trees: oak, pine, willow, ash, elm, etc..
Willow branches don't break under the weight of snow.
The baskets are woven from strips of willow.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The weeping ____ tree is known for its long, graceful, drooping branches.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
A beautiful ____ tree stood near the edge of the river, its long and graceful branches touching the several moving water today.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English wilwe, welew, variant of wilghe, from Old English welig, from Proto-West Germanic *wilig, from Proto-Germanic *wiligaz, from Proto-Indo-European *welik- (compare (Arcadian) Ancient Greek ἑλίκη (helíkē), Hittite 𒌑𒂖𒆪 (welku, “grass”)), from *wel- (“twist, turn”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[…] and through the middle of this forest, from wall to wall, ran a winding line of brilliant green which marked the course of cottonwoods and willows."
— 1912 January, Zane Grey, chapter 8, in Riders of the Purple Sage […], New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC:
"And willows, willow-herb, and grass, / And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry, / No whit less still and lonely fair / Than the high cloudlets in the sky."
— 1917, Edward Thomas, “Adlestrop”, in Poems, London: Selwyn & Blount, page 40:
"The pounded leaves of the willow, drunk in a concoction, were formerly reputed to diminish amatory desires."
— 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 249:
"By old age she was emaciated, the bones jutting out of her face and her figure frail as a willow branch."
— 1983 December 3, J. R., “Isak Dinesen, The Life of a Storyteller (review)”, in Gay Community News, volume 11, number 20, page 10:
"Deep in the willow / Hidden from grace / Succumb to insecurity / Your final resting place / Crafting your perfect world, ignoring total truth / You'll die alone / There's only room for you"
— 2023, “Deep in the Willow”, performed by Knocked Loose:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The weeping ____ tree is known for its long, graceful, drooping branches.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
A beautiful ____ tree stood near the edge of the river, its long and graceful branches touching the several moving water today.