witch hazel

See also: witch-hazel

English

Hamamelis virginiana
Leaf, twig, flower, seed

Alternative forms

• witch-hazel, wych-hazel, wych-hasel, wych hazel, witch-hasel, wych hasel, witch hasel, witch-hasell, wych-hasell, witch-hazell, wych-hazell

Etymology

See Middle English wiche, from Old English wiċe (“pliant, bendable, weak”). Folk etymology refers to use by witches and other sorcerers of folkish magic using the plant in potions; however, compare German Zaubernuss (“witch hazel, literally 'magic nut'”).

Noun

witch hazel (countable and uncountable, plural witch hazels)

1. (countable) Any of several small deciduous trees, of the genus Hamamelis, having yellow flowers
   1. (US) Hamamelis virginiana (eastern North America)
   2. (US) Hamamelis vernalis (Ozarks).
2. (uncountable) An extract of the bark and/or leaves of this plant, used as an astringent
3. (obsolete) A wych-elm, or a certain subspecies of it distinguished from wych-elm.
4. (obsolete, Essex) hornbeam, Carpinus betulus

Synonyms

• (Hamamelis virginiana): American witch hazel

Derived terms

• witch-hazel cone gall aphid (Hormaphis hamamelidis)

Translations

tree of the genus Hamamelis

• Cherokee: ᎤᏂᎩᎾ (unigina)
• Dutch: toverhazelaar (nl) c
• Finnish: taikapähkinä (fi)
• German: Zaubernuss (de) f
• Polish: oczar (pl) m
• Romanian: hamamelis (ro) n
• Swedish: trollhassel c
• Welsh: collen ystwyth f

Hamamelis virginiana

• Bulgarian: вирджински орех m (virdžinski oreh)
• Cherokee: ᎦᎾᏑᏛᎶ (ganasudvlo)
• French: café du diable (fr) m
• German: herbstblühende Zaubernuss, virginische Zaubernuss f
• Irish: coll Virginiach m

Hamamelis vernalis

See also

• Witch-hazel on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Witch hazel (astringent) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Hamamelis on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Hamamelis on Wikispecies.Wikispecies