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

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

Gardeners may be more familiar with other species that are now considered invasive in the United States, Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda). —Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025

Lucy Vail’s contribution, Pastoral Inspiration, offered a floral reinterpretation of Alfred Sisley’s The Small Meadows in Spring, while Rob Van Helden transformed the Lecture Room with a sweeping wisteria tree and a delicate miniature writing desk. —Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

Spring brings a lush wisteria canopy, summer ripens the citrus groves and autumn drapes the courtyard in gold. —Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 7 Mar. 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