wisteria

noun

wis·​te·​ria wi-ˈstir-ē-ə 

variants or less commonly wistaria

wi-ˈstir-ē-ə 

also

-ˈster- 

: any of a genus (Wisteria) of mostly woody leguminous vines of China, Japan, and the southeastern U.S. that have pinnately compound leaves and long racemes of showy blue, white, purple, or rose papilionaceous flowers and that include several (such as W. sinensis and W. floribunda) grown as ornamentals

Illustration of wisteria

Examples of wisteria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The generous garden, developed with the firm Brook Landscape, features a firepit, an outdoor kitchen, and a very aggressive wisteria. —Michael Boodro, Architectural Digest, 9 Sep. 2024

For all of these reasons, try out trellising cucumbers or guiding wisteria vines over an arch. —Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 7 Aug. 2024

Naturally, given the property’s name, there’s a mature private garden with ancient wisteria trees and a large pond that serves as an ideal spot for wildlife watching. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 Apr. 2024

Even if dark clouds cover the sky, the purple wisteria and white dogwood blooms will compete with the colorful Easter clothes on worshippers filling up Sunday services in churches big and small throughout Arkansas. —Werner Trieschmann, arkansasonline.com, 31 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Wisteria, from Caspar Wistar †1818 American physician

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

wisteria

noun

wis·​te·​ria wis-ˈtir-ē-ə 

variants also wistaria

-ˈtir-ē-ə 

also

-ˈter- 

: any of a genus of mostly woody vines of China, Japan, and the southeastern U.S. that belong to the legume family and have leaves with numerous leaflets and showy blue, white, purple, or rose flowers in long hanging clusters

Etymology

named for Caspar Wistar 1761–1818 American physician