Adjacent Words

Olive definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

OL'IVE, n. [L. oliva, from olea, an olive tree; Gr. See Oil]
A plant or tree of the genus Olea. The common olive tree grows in warm climates and rises to the height of twenty or thirty feet, having an upright stem with numerous branches. This tree is much cultivated in the south of Europe for its fruit, from which is expressed the olive oil, and which is used also for pickles.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive n
1: small ovoid fruit of the European olive tree; important food and source of oil
2: evergreen tree cultivated in the Mediterranean region since antiquity and now elsewhere; has edible shiny black fruits [syn: olive, European olive tree, Olea europaea]
3: hard yellow often variegated wood of an olive tree; used in cabinetwork
4: one-seeded fruit of the European olive tree usually pickled and used as a relish
5: a yellow-green color of low brightness and saturation

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin oliva, from Greek elaia Date: 13th century 1. a. a Mediterranean evergreen tree (Olea europaea of the family Oleaceae, the olive family) cultivated for its drupaceous fruit that is an important food and source of oil; also the fruit b. any of various shrubs and trees resembling the olive 2. any of several colors resembling that of the unripe fruit of the olive tree that are yellowish green 3. an oval eminence on each ventrolateral aspect of the medulla oblongata II. adjective Date: 1657 1. of the color olive or olive green 2. approaching olive in color or complexion

Britannica Concise

Subtropical, broad-leaved, evergreen tree (Olea europaea) and its edible fruit. The edible olive was being grown on the island of Crete c.3500 BC, the Semitic peoples apparently were cultivating it as early as 3000 BC, and it was used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, after which olive growing spread to all the countries bordering the Mediterranean. Today olives are grown primarily for olive oil, which has in recent decades become highly popular in N. America, valued both for its distinctive taste and fragrance and for healthful properties that have become widely known. Fresh olives must be treated to neutralize their extreme bitterness before they can be eaten. The olive family (Oleaceae) comprises about 900 species in 24 genera of woody plants. Native to forested regions, members of the olive family grow worldwide except in the Arctic, as evergreens in tropical and warm temperate climes and as deciduous trees in colder zones. Ash trees yield hardwood timber; horticultural favorites include lilacs, jasmines, privets, and forsythia. Many members of the family are cultivated for their beautiful and fragrant flowers.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. --n. 1 (in full olive tree) any evergreen tree of the genus Olea, having dark-green lance-shaped leathery leaves with silvery undersides, esp. O. europaea of the Mediterranean, and O. africana native to S. Africa. 2 the small oval fruit of this, having a hard stone and bitter flesh, green when unripe and bluish-black when ripe. 3 (in full olive-green) the greyish-green colour of an unripe olive. 4 the wood of the olive tree. 5 Anat. each of a pair of olive-shaped swellings in the medulla oblongata. 6 a any olive-shaped gastropod of the genus Oliva. b the shell of this. 7 a slice of beef or veal made into a roll with stuffing inside and stewed. --adj. 1 coloured like an unripe olive. 2 (of the complexion) yellowish-brown, sallow. Phrases and idioms: olive branch 1 the branch of an olive tree as a symbol of peace. 2 a gesture of reconciliation or friendship. olive crown a garland of olive leaves as a sign of victory. olive drab the dull olive colour of US army uniforms. olive oil an oil extracted from olives used esp. in cookery. Etymology: ME f. OF f. L oliva f. Gk elaia f. elaion oil

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Olivary Ol"i*va*ry, a. [L. olivarius belonging to olives, fr. oliva an olive: cf. F. olivaire.] (Anat.) Like an olive. Olivary body (Anat.), an oval prominence on each side of the medulla oblongata; -- called also olive.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Olive Ol"ive, n. [F., fr. L. oliva, akin to Gr. ?. See Oil.] 1. (Bot.) (a) A tree (Olea Europ[ae]a) with small oblong or elliptical leaves, axillary clusters of flowers, and oval, one-seeded drupes. The tree has been cultivated for its fruit for thousands of years, and its branches are the emblems of peace. The wood is yellowish brown and beautifully variegated. (b) The fruit of the olive. It has been much improved by cultivation, and is used for making pickles. Olive oil is pressed from its flesh. 2. (Zo["o]l.) (a) Any shell of the genus Oliva and allied genera; -- so called from the form. See Oliva. (b) The oyster catcher. [Prov.Eng.] 3. (a) The color of the olive, a peculiar dark brownish, yellowish, or tawny green. (b) One of the tertiary colors, composed of violet and green mixed in equal strength and proportion. 4. (Anat.) An olivary body. See under Olivary. 5. (Cookery) A small slice of meat seasoned, rolled up, and cooked; as, olives of beef or veal. Note: Olive is sometimes used adjectively and in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, olive brown, olive green, olive-colored, olive-skinned, olive crown, olive garden, olive tree, olive yard, etc. Bohemian olive (Bot.), a species of El[ae]agnus (E. angustifolia), the flowers of which are sometimes used in Southern Europe as a remedy for fevers. Olive branch. (a) A branch of the olive tree, considered an emblem of peace. (b) Fig.: A child. Olive brown, brown with a tinge of green. Olive green, a dark brownish green, like the color of the olive. Olive oil, an oil expressed from the ripe fruit of the olive, and much used as a salad oil, also in medicine and the arts. Olive ore (Min.), olivenite. Wild olive (Bot.), a name given to the oleaster or wild stock of the olive; also variously to several trees more or less resembling the olive.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Olive Ol"ive, a. Approaching the color of the olive; of a peculiar dark brownish, yellowish, or tawny green.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(olives) 1. Olives are small green or black fruit with a bitter taste. Olives are often pressed to make olive oil. N-VAR 2. An olive tree or an olive is a tree on which olives grow. ...an olive grove. N-COUNT 3. Something that is olive is yellowish-green in colour. ...glowing colours such as deep red, olive, saffron and ochre. COLOUR • Olive is also a combining form. She wore an olive-green T-shirt. COMB in COLOUR 4. If someone has olive skin, the colour of their skin is light brown. They are handsome with dark, shining hair, olive skin and fine brown eyes. ADJ: usu ADJ n

Easton's Bible Dictionary

the fruit of the olive-tree. This tree yielded oil which was highly valued. The best oil was from olives that were plucked before being fully ripe, and then beaten or squeezed (Deut. 24:20; Isa. 17:6; 24:13). It was called "beaten," or "fresh oil" (Ex. 27:20). There were also oil-presses, in which the oil was trodden out by the feet (Micah 6:15). James (3:12) calls the fruit "olive berries." The phrase "vineyards and olives" (Judg. 15:5, A.V.) should be simply "olive-yard," or "olive-garden," as in the Revised Version. (See OIL.)

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

See OLIVE TREE.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Olive-green, brownish-green, olivaceous, olivaster, olive-colored, brownish, tawny.

Moby Thesaurus

aestival, beryl-green, berylline, blue-green, bluish-green, chartreuse, chloranemic, chlorine, chlorotic, citrine, citrinous, emerald, foliaged, glaucescent, glaucous, glaucous-green, grassy, green, green as grass, green-blue, greenish, greenish-blue, greenish-yellow, greensick, holly, ivy, ivy-green, leafy, leaved, olivaceous, olive-green, porraceous, smaragdine, springlike, summerlike, summery, verdant, verdurous, vernal, vernant, vert, virescent, yellowish-green