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

Long admired for its beauty as a vining plant, wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)looks beautiful when growing on architectural elements in the garden or around the home. —Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 7 June 2026

Outside, a storybook walkway covered in wisteria links the main residence to the barn. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 June 2026

The new iteration of the tiny club has a jungle-meets-the-shires feel with palm trees, vines and dangling wisteria and serves electric bright cocktails like frozen hibiscus margaritas. —Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 23 May 2026

Twining Plants Twining plants, such as honeysuckle and wisteria, wrap their stems around the support structure. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 23 May 2026

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
• 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