olive

¹

[ ol-iv ]

noun

1. an evergreen tree, Olea europaea, of Mediterranean and other warm regions, cultivated chiefly for its fruit. Compare olive family.
2. the fruit of this tree, a small oval drupe, eaten as a relish and used as a source of oil.
3. Also called olive wood. the wood of this tree, valued for ornamental work.
4. the foliage of this tree.
5. a wreath of it.
6. any of various related or similar trees.
7. olive branch.
8. the ocher green or dull yellow green of the unripe olive fruit.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or made of olives, their foliage, or their fruit.
2. of the color olive.
3. tinged with this color:

   an olive complexion.

Olive

²

[ ol-iv ]

noun

1. a female given name.

olive

/ ˈɒlɪv /

noun

1. an evergreen oleaceous tree, Olea europaea, of the Mediterranean region but cultivated elsewhere, having white fragrant flowers, and edible shiny black fruits
2. the fruit of this plant, eaten as a relish and used as a source of olive oil
3. the wood of the olive tree, used for ornamental work
4. any of various trees or shrubs resembling the olive
5. 1. a yellow-green colour
   2. ( as adjective )

      an olive coat

6. an angler's name for the dun of various mayflies or an artificial fly in imitation of this

adjective

1. of, relating to, or made of the olive tree, its wood, or its fruit

Other Words From

• sub·olive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of olive¹

1150–1200; Middle English < Old French < Latin olīva, by-form of olea < dialectal Greek *elaíwa olive, olive tree; oil, oleaceous

Word History and Origins

Origin of olive¹

C13: via Old French from Latin oliva, related to Greek elaia olive tree; compare Greek elaion oil

Example Sentences

During the course of the Nakba, the removal of Palestinians from their lands was accompanied by the renaming of sites and often by planting trees on the sites of villages, terraced fields and olive groves.

From Salon

Within minutes, the mother of seven and grandmother of 14 lay dying in the dust of the olive grove, with a bullet wound in her chest - she’d been shot by an Israeli soldier.

From BBC

KFARAKKA, Lebanon — In normal times, you’d rarely hear of Kfarakka, a hamlet nestled in the lush green mountains of north Lebanon whose primary claim to fame is that it’s the country’s top olive oil producer.

From Los Angeles Times

Marx: He likes olives, I like a twist.

From Los Angeles Times

The vest comes in black, burnt orange, olive and dark red.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beige
• brownish
• drab
• khaki