-wist-

n. [ NL. ] [ So named after Caspar Wistar, an American anatomist. ] (Bot.) A genus of climbing leguminous plants bearing long, pendulous clusters of pale bluish flowers. Now commonly spelled Wisteria. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The species commonest in cultivation is the Wistaria Sinensis from Eastern Asia. Wistaria fruticosa grows wild in the southern parts of the United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Wistaria. [ PJC ]

a. [ For wishful; perhaps influenced by wistly, which is probably corrupted from OE. wisly certainly (from Icel. viss certain, akin to E. wit). See Wish. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Longing; wishful; desirous. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lifting up one of my sashes, I cast many a wistful, melancholy look towards the sea. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Full of thought; eagerly attentive; meditative; musing; pensive; contemplative. [ 1913 Webster ]

That he who there at such an hour hath been,
Will wistful linger on that hallowed spot. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Wist"ful*ly, adv. -- Wist"ful*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. from native name: cf. F. ouistiti. ] (Zool.) A small South American monkey; a marmoset. [ Written also wistiti, and ouistiti. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ See Wistful. ] Attentively; observingly. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]