A machine having a system of revolving spikes for opening and cleaning raw textile fibers.
ETYM Old Eng. wilowe, wilwe, AS. wilig, welig; akin to OD. wilge, Dutch wilg, LG. wilge. Related to Willy.
Any tree or shrub of the genus Salix, family Salicaceae. There are over 350 species, mostly in the northern hemisphere, and they flourish in damp places. The leaves are often lance-shaped, and the male and female catkins are found on separate trees.
North American species include black willow S. nigra and Pacific willow S. lasiandra. The weeping willow S. babylonica is a native of China, cultivated worldwide. Any of numerous deciduous trees and shrubs of the genus Salix; SYN. willow tree.