Olive Definition

ŏlĭv

olives

noun

olives

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.

Webster's New World

The small, oval fruit of this tree, cured when either green or ripe to be eaten as a relish, or pressed to extract olive oil.

Webster's New World

The wood of this tree.

Webster's New World

Any of various plants resembling the olive.

Webster's New World

A yellow green of low to medium lightness and low to moderate saturation.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Synonyms:
Olea europaea
European olive tree
green-olive
ripe olive
black-olive
pitted olive
stuffed olive

adjective

Of the olive.

Webster's New World

Olive-colored.

Webster's New World

Having a dark complexion tinged with this color.

Webster's New World

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.

Webster's New World

pronoun

A female given name.

Wiktionary

A surname.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Olive

Noun

Singular:

olive

Plural:

Olives

Origin of Olive

Old French olive (“olive, olive tree"), from Latin olÄ«va (“olive"), from Ancient Greek ἐλαία (elaía), from Proto-Indo-European *loiu̯om (compare Old Church Slavonic [script?] (lojÅ, “tallow"), Old Armenian Õ¥Ö‚Õ² (ewÅ‚, “oil")).

From Wiktionary
Medieval form of the Latin saint's name Oliva "olive"; revived in the 19th century when flower and plant names became fashionable. The surname is topographical, often representing an Anglicization of continental European surnames such as Spanish Oliva.

From Wiktionary
Middle English from Latin olīva from Greek elaiwā, elaiā

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition