witch hazel
noun
witch ha·zel
| \ ˈwich-ˌhā-zəl
\
\
Definition of witch hazel
1
: any of a genus (Hamamelis of the family Hamamelidaceae, the witch-hazel family) of shrubs or small trees with slender-petaled usually yellow flowers borne in late fall or early spring
especially
: one (H. virginiana) of eastern North America that blooms in the fall
2
: an alcoholic solution of a distillate of the bark of a witch hazel (H. virginiana) used as a soothing and mildly astringent lotion
Examples of witch hazel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Called Frida Mom, the line includes soothing items like instant ice maxi pads, healing foam (as opposed to spray), witch hazel cooling pad liners, mesh underwear for vaginal and cesarean section deliveries and more. — Anya Leon, PEOPLE.com, "Amy Schumer Celebrates Launch of Frida Mom's New Postpartum Care for Women — See the Products," 31 July 2019 Equal parts of castile soap, witch hazel, and coconut oil make for a really, really good makeup remover. — Rebekah Lowin, Country Living, "13 Castile Soap Uses You've Never Thought of Before," 22 May 2019 Use the right methods that really work — no witch hazel or apple cider vinegar, please! — and sweet, sweet relief is within sight. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "How to Get Rid of Mosquito Bites and Stop Itching ASAP," 18 Mar. 2019 Start by applying hydrogen peroxide or witch hazel to the affected area. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "The Correct Way to Pop a Pimple," 21 Dec. 2018 Loropetalum is a member of the Hamamelis (witch hazel) family (Hamameliadaceae), which hail from China and the Himalayas. — Earl Nickel, SFChronicle.com, "Let this ‘Purple Pixie’ bring a little color to the garden," 29 June 2018 These wipe-and-toss sheets, packed with ingredients that both cleanse and revive (witch hazel, salicylic acid, cucumber extract), give your mug a midday refresh. — Matt Martin, GQ, "GQ’s New Best Stuff Box Is Here to Upgrade Your Summer," 21 May 2018 Even so, her jar of witch hazel sits on the shelf above her bathroom sink, next to a bottle of pills. — New York Times, "Time Is Running Out for Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Upstate Retreat," 14 May 2018 Smaller trees available were Chinese dogwood, eastern redbud, serviceberry, pawpaw, golden raintree and witch hazel. — Carol Kovach, cleveland.com, "Chilly, soggy weather didn't stop Keep Lakewood Beautiful volunteers from sprucing up the city," 29 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'witch hazel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for witch hazel
witch hazel
noun
English Language Learners Definition of witch hazel
: a lotion that is made from the bark of a plant and that is used to heal the skin
See the full definition for witch hazel in the English Language Learners Dictionary
witch hazel
noun
witch ha·zel
| \ ˈwich-ˌhā-zəl
\
\
Kids Definition of witch hazel
1
: a shrub with small yellow flowers in late fall or early spring
2
: a soothing alcoholic lotion made from the bark of the witch hazel
witch hazel
noun
witch ha·zel
| \ ˈwich-ˌhā-zəl
\
\
Medical Definition of witch hazel
1
: any small tree or shrub of the genus Hamamelis
especially
: one (Hamamelis virginiana) of eastern North America that blooms in the fall
2
: an alcoholic solution of a distillate of the bark of a witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) used as a soothing and mildly astringent lotion