wayfaring-tree

noun

A much-branched European shrub of large size (Viburnum lantana), with dense cymes of small white flowers, the foliage and young shoots thickly covered with soft mealy down.

Similar
hoarwithymealy-treetriptoe

Meanings

nounwayfaring-tree (plural wayfaring-trees)

plural wayfaring-trees · alternative wayfaring tree

  1. biologyA much-branched European shrub of large size (Viburnum lantana), with dense cymes of small white flowers, the foliage and young shoots thickly covered with soft mealy down.

    Synonyms: hoarwithy, mealy-tree, triptoe

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA much-branched European shrub of large size (Viburnum lantana), with dense cymes of small white flowers, the foliage and young shoots thickly covered with soft mealy down.

Similar
hoarwithymealy-treetriptoe

Origin

Coined c. 1597 by John Gerard, English herbalist. The plant is common along waysides in hedgerows, as might be passed by wayfarers.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian черна калина
  • черна калина (černa kalina)Viburnum lantana
Catalan tortellatge, cantellatge
  • tortellatgeViburnum lantana
  • cantellatgeViburnum lantana
Czech kalina tušalaj
  • kalina tušalajViburnum lantana
Finnish villaheisi
  • villaheisiViburnum lantana
French viorne lantane
  • viorne lantaneViburnum lantana
German Wolliger Schneeball
  • Wolliger SchneeballViburnum lantana
Irish craobh fhiáin
  • craobh fhiáinViburnum lantana
Persian هفتکول
  • هفتکولViburnum lantana
Polish kalina hordowina
  • kalina hordowinaViburnum lantana
Russian гордо́вина, кали́на гордо́вина
  • гордо́вина (gordóvina)Viburnum lantana
  • кали́на гордо́вина (kalína gordóvina)Viburnum lantana
Swedish parkolvon
  • parkolvonViburnum lantana
Turkish germişek
  • germişekViburnum lantana
Ukrainian гордовина
  • гордовина (hordovyna)Viburnum lantana
Welsh gwifwrnwydden
  • gwifwrnwyddenViburnum lantana
Cite this entry
APA

wayfaring-tree. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wayfaring-tree

MLA

“wayfaring-tree.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wayfaring-tree. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wayfaring-tree,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wayfaring-tree.

Source: wayfaring-tree on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.