olive Hear it!

olive definition

ol·ive (äliv)

noun

    1. an evergreen tree (Olea europaea) of the olive family, native to S Europe and the Near East, with leathery leaves, yellow flowers, and an edible fruit
    2. the small, oval fruit of this tree, eaten green or ripe as a relish, or pressed to extract olive oil
  1. the wood of this tree
  2. any of various plants resembling the olive
  3. an olive branch or wreath
  4. the dull, yellowish-green color of the unripe olive fruit

Etymology: OFr < L oliva < Gr elaia

adjective

  1. of the olive
    1. olive-colored
    2. having a dark complexion tinged with this color
  2. designating a family (Oleaceae, order Scrophulariales) of dicotyledonous trees and shrubs with loose clusters of four-parted flowers, including the ashes, lilacs, jasmines, and forsythias
Olive definition

Ol·ive (äliv)

noun

a feminine name: var. Olivia

Etymology: ME oliva < L, an olive

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.
Related Discussions (1)
TopicRepliesLatest Post
"Olive hew" What is that?23 years ago

Browse Forums