any of a genus (Ligustrum) of shrubs or trees of the olive family, with bluish-black berries and spikes of white flowers, often grown for hedges; esp., the (L. vulgare)
Origin:
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See privet in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
Any of several shrubs of the genus Ligustrum, especially L. vulgare or L. ovalifolium, having opposite leaves and clusters of white flowers and widely used for hedges.