noun
birdlime
A sticky substance traditionally made from holly bark, used to trap small birds. Now mostly encountered in historical or traditional contexts.
昔はもちを使って小鳥を捕まえた。
In the past, people used birdlime to catch small birds.
noun
Nepal holly; Ilex integra
A tree species whose bark was traditionally used to make birdlime. The plant name is usually written in kana or katakana.
See also: 黐の木
もちの木は常緑樹で、冬に赤い実をつける。
The Nepal holly is an evergreen tree that bears red berries in winter.
Explicitly the Nepal holly tree; もち can refer to the tree itself, but もちのき is more precise.
The word もち is native Japanese. The kanji 黐 is a kokuji (Japanese-created character) combining 黍 (millet) and 离 (a mythical beast), likely chosen for its sticky association. The exact derivation of the reading is uncertain.