Olive

Pronunciation

• enPR: ŏl'Ä­v, IPA: /ˈɒlɪv/
• enPR: äl'Ä­v, IPA: /ˈɑlɪv/

Origin

Old French olive ("olive, olive tree"), from Latin olīva ("olive"), from Ancient Greek ἐλαία, from Proto-Indo-European *loiwom (compare Old Church Slavonic лои ("tallow"), Old Armenian եւղ ("oil")).

Radoslav Katičić, Ancient Languages of the Balkans, Part One (Paris: Mouton, 1976).

Full definition of olive

Noun

1. An evergreen tree, , cultivated since ancient times in the Mediterranean for its fruit and the oil obtained from it.
2. The small oval fruit of this tree, eaten ripe (usually black) or unripe (usually green).
3. The wood of the olive tree.
4. A dark yellowish-green color, that of an unripe olive.
5. (anatomy) An olivary body, part of the medulla oblongata.
6. A component of a plumbing compression joint; a ring which is placed between the nut and the pipe and compressed during fastening to provide a seal.
7. (cookery) A small slice of meat seasoned, rolled up, and cooked.a beef oliveolives of veal
8. Any shell of the genus and allied genera; so called from the shape.
9. (UK, dialect) An oystercatcher, a shore bird.

Derived terms

Adjective

1. Of a grayish green color, that of an unripe olive.
• 1907, Harold Edward Bindloss

Related terms

• oleaster
• olivenite
• olivewood
• Olivia
• olivine

Anagrams

• voile