Plural of willow, referring to deciduous trees or shrubs with flexible branches and narrow leaves, typically found near water.
From Old English welig, related to Proto-Germanic *weligaz. The word has cognates in many Germanic languages and originally referred to the pliable nature of the branches.
Willows are nature's pharmaceuticals - the bark contains salicin, which led to the development of aspirin! These trees have been symbols of mourning and flexibility across cultures, bending but not breaking in storms.
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