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

Japanese and Chinese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda and sinensis) are absolutely gorgeous in flower. —Steve Bender, Southern Living, 9 Aug. 2025

The walls are a moody, dark red and fake, purple wisteria hangs from the ceiling. —Molly Gregory, The Courier-Journal, 29 July 2025

The iris and beetle can be worn as a brooch, while the wisteria is a headpiece weighing just 150 grams. —Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 18 July 2025

American Wisteria Drooping clusters of lilac-purple or white flowers grace the stems of American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) in late spring and may reappear sporadically throughout the summer. —Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Wisteria, from Caspar Wistar †1818 American physician

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wisteria

• arteria
• bacteria
• criteria
• diphtheria
• egeria
• listeria
• neisseria
• cafeteria
• cyanobacteria
• mycobacteria

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