Meanings
plural old man's beards · plural old men's beards
- countableA fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus).
- countableuncountableAustralian clematis (Clematis aristata).
- countableuncountableTraveller's joy (Clematis vitalba), a climbing plant of Europe.
- uncountableSpanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), a bromeliad of the Americas.
- countableuncountableUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see old, man, -'s, beard.
The old man's beard and hair were as white as snow—the former descending almost to his girdle; so were the thick overhanging brows that shaded his still piercing eyes.
1865, W. H. Ainsworth, Auriol; or, the Elixir of Life., G. Routledge & Sons, →OCLC, page 3
Synonyms & antonyms
nounBeard lichen (Usnea spp.).
More synonyms by meaning
noundense festoons of greenish-grey hairlike flexuous strands anchored to tree trunks and branches by sparse wiry roots; southeastern United States and West Indies to South America
nounvigorous deciduous climber of Europe to Afghanistan and Lebanon having panicles of fragrant green-white flowers in summer and autumn
nouncommon climber of eastern North America that sprawls over other plants and bears numerous panicles of small creamy white flowers
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Bulgarian по́вет
- по́вет (póvet)Chionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Catalan vidalba
- vidalbaChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Dutch bosrank
- bosrankChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Finnish saksankärhö
- saksankärhöChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
French clématite des haies
- clématite des haiesChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Icelandic hvít bergsóley
- hvít bergsóleyChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Italian vitalba
- vitalbaChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Russian ломоно́с виноградоли́стный, клема́тис виноградоли́стный
- ломоно́с виноградоли́стный (lomonós vinogradolístnyj)Chionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- клема́тис виноградоли́стный (klemátis vinogradolístnyj)Chionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Spanish abrazadera, barba de Dios
- abrazaderaChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- barba de DiosChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- canduercaChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- clemátideChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- hierba de los pordioserosChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- jazmín de monteChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- muermeraChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- placer del viajeroChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- vidalbaChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- vidarraChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- vid blancaChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
- vidrariaChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Turkish akasma
- akasmaChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Welsh barf hen ŵr
- barf hen ŵrChionanthus virginicus (traveller's joy)
Cite this entry
old man's beard. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20man's%20beard
“old man's beard.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20man's%20beard. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “old man's beard,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20man's%20beard.
Source: old man's beard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.