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willowware
willowy
willpower
willy
willy-nilly
willy wagtail
Wilmette
Wilmington
Wilson, Mount
Wilson’s disease
Wilson’s phalarope
Wilson’s Promontory
wilt (1)
wilt (2)
Wilton
Wilts.
Wiltshire
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willow

wil·low [ wíllō ] (plural wil·lows)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. tree with long flexible branches: a tree or bush with long flexible branches, narrow leaves, and catkins containing small flowers without petals. Some species are valued for their wood, twigs, and tanbark. Genus Salix.

2. willow wood: the wood of a willow tree

3. industry machine with spikes: a machine with a revolving spiked cylinder inside a box that is also fitted with spikes. Use: cleaning or loosening fibrous materials such as cotton, wool, or rags.

[ Old English welig< Germanic]

wil·low·ish adjective

Cultural Note

The Wind in the Willows, a children's story (1908) by British writer Kenneth Grahame. Originally written as a bedtime story for Grahame's son, it recounts the mishaps that befall four animals - Mole, Ratty, Toad, and Badger - when they venture outside their natural habitats. Much loved by children, the tales are also enjoyed by adults as entertaining allegories of human behavior.

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