chive

American

[chahyv] / tʃaɪv /

noun

a small bulbous plant, Allium schoenoprasum, related to the leek and onion, having long, slender leaves that are used as a seasoning.

chive British

/ tʃaɪv /

noun

Also called: chives. a small Eurasian purple-flowered alliaceous plant, Allium schoenoprasum, whose long slender hollow leaves are used in cooking to flavour soups, stews, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of chive

1350–1400; Middle English cive < Anglo-French chive, Old French cive ≪ Latin caepa onion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

My mom went back to transforming pork and chive filling and dough circles into intricately pleated dumplings and asked what I wanted to eat.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2023

Health officials believe daffodil poisoning led to 10 hospitalisation in Bristol in 2012 because of their similarity to a chive used in Chinese cooking.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2023

Likewise, onion, scallion, and/or chive are all respected but not needed here.

From Salon • May 5, 2022

There are three varieties: plain; a cilantro-lime that’s delicately tangy and suitable for Mexican-style dishes; and potato chip-ready fire-roasted onion and chive.

From New York Times • Jan. 24, 2022

Add that to all the chive, dillweed, and lemon balm growing around the porch and the smell could knock you over.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023