wayfaring tree

[ wey-fair-ing tree ]

noun

1. alsocalledcomma British, whitten. a Eurasian shrub, Viburnum lantana, of the honeysuckle family, having finely toothed, ovate leaves and branching clusters of white flowers, growing along roadsides and cultivated as an ornamental in North America.
2. the hobblebush.

wayfaring tree

noun

1. a caprifoliaceous shrub, Viburnum lantana, of Europe and W Asia, having white flowers and berries that turn from red to black

Word History and Origins

Origin of wayfaring tree¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; short for wayfaring man's tree

Example Sentences

“That’ll be good enough at a pinch,” said Bigwig, munching clover and sniffing at the fallen bloom from a wayfaring tree.

From Literature

Another member of the genus, Viburnum, Lantana, wayfaring tree, is found in dry copses and hedges in England, except in the north.

From Project Gutenberg

The twigs of the wayfaring tree are covered with a mealy substance which comes off on the fingers when touched.

From Project Gutenberg

An open wood, chiefly of dwarf oak, and shrubs such as the wayfaring tree, the guelder-rose, and the fly-honeysuckle, now stretches along the opposite side of the gorge.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a very high terrace; southward one looks down upon the tops of wayfaring trees and spruces, and westward on a steep slope of beechwood, through which the road comes.

From Project Gutenberg