Etymology From Middle English grenen, from Old English grēnian (“to become green, flourish”), from Proto-West Germanic *grōnijan, from Proto-Germanic *grōnijōną, *grōnijaną (“to become green”), from the adjective (see above). Cognate with Saterland Frisian gräinje, German Low German grönen, German grünen, Swedish gröna, Icelandic gróna.
1
To make or turn (something) green or greener.
Great spring before greened all the year.a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC:
Out of that tub had come the day before—Tess felt it with a dreadful sting of remorse - the very white frock upon her back which she had so carelessly greened about the skirt on the damping grass - which had been wrung up and ironed by her mother's own hands.1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume I, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the first (The Maiden), page 30:
2
To become or grow green in color.
O rosetree planted in my grief, / And growing, on her tomb, / Her dust is greening in your leaf, / Her blood is in your bloom.1885, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “The Ancient Sage”, in Tiresias and Other Poems, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 63:
by greening slope and singing flood1886, John Greenleaf Whittier, Flowers in Winter:
3
To add greenspaces to (a town, etc.).
The newer 39-story, 1.5-million-square-foot tower occupies much of the original Shearson Garden, a larger parklet that briefly greened the construction site to be, and is remembered fondly by nearby Tribecans.2000, AIA Guide to New York City, page 58:
4
To become environmentally aware.
5
To make (something) environmentally friendly.
"The SNP like to talk the talk about net zero targets, but they can't walk the walk. We need a fares freeze for everyone if we want to get serious about greening the economy and a public railway run in the public interest."2023 June 28, Conrad Landin, “Network News: Scottish 4.8% rail fares rise labelled 'bad news'”, in RAIL, number 986, page 18:
Etymology English surname, a topographic name for someone who either lived near a village green, or was just fond of the colour. This name is also translated from other surnames, such as German Grün and Gruen, Dutch Groen, Irish Ó hUainí (from uaine, see Honan), etc. The Irish surname was also erroneously translated from Ó Fathaidh, Ó Fathaigh, from faithche (“lawn”).
1
Government, Politics Of, or pertaining, to a Green Party or green party.
Green
noun
Etymology English surname, a topographic name for someone who either lived near a village green, or was just fond of the colour. This name is also translated from other surnames, such as German Grün and Gruen, Dutch Groen, Irish Ó hUainí (from uaine, see Honan), etc. The Irish surname was also erroneously translated from Ó Fathaidh, Ó Fathaigh, from faithche (“lawn”).
From Middle English grene, from Old English grēne, from Proto-West Germanic *grōnī, from Proto-Germanic *grōniz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (“to grow”). More at grow. Doublet of Gruen. See also North Frisian green, West Frisian grien, Dutch groen, Low German grön, green, greun, German grün, Danish and Norwegian Nynorsk grøn, Swedish grön, Norwegian Bokmål grønn, Faroese grønur, Icelandic grænn. The sense of obscene, pornographic, or sexual in the Philippines is a semantic loan from Spanish verde. In other varieties of English, blue is the color instead associated with obscenity or pornography.
The color of grass and leaves; a primary additive color midway between yellow and blue which is evoked by light between roughly 495–570 nm.
In a period of increasing industrialization and the palette of grey, brown, and black that came to dominate the modern city, greens provided a refreshing contrast, seemingly bringing the outdoors in.2015, Alison Matthews David, Fashion Victims: The Damages of Dress Past and Present, →ISBN, page 81:
Red No. 3, red No. 40, blue No. 2 and green No. 3 all have been linked with cancer or tumors in animals. Other sources say red No. 40 and yellow No. 5 and No. 6 contain or may be contaminated with known carcinogens.2025 March 29, Kristen Rogers, “Over half of US states are trying to eliminate food dyes. Here’s what you can do now”, in CNN:
2
Government, PoliticsCapitalized, Sometimes A member of a green party; an environmentalist.
How have greens sought to map an ecologically and socially sustainable future for society?2013, Joe Smith, What Do Greens Believe?, →ISBN, page 62:
3
Golf, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports A putting green, the part of a golf course near the hole.
I gave him my putter earlier this year in Oklahoma City. He was having trouble on the greens and I said, ‘Here, try this.’ He did, and he’s been going great guns ever since.1964 June 16, Arnold Palmer, quotee, “All Eyes On Lema At U.S. Open This Week”, in The Indianapolis Star, volume 62, number 11, Indianapolis, Ind., page 22:
There are eighteen holes but I dare any visitor to find more than, say, twelve fairways and seven or eight greens.2010, Dan Jenkins, Fairways and Greens, →ISBN, page 233:
4
The surface upon which bowls is played.
5
Ball games, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Snooker, Sports One of the color balls used in snooker, with a value of 3 points.
6
UK A public patch of land in the middle of a settlement.
7
A grassy plain; a piece of ground covered with verdant herbage.
o'er the smooth enamelled green1634, John Milton, “Arcades”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC:
8
In plural Fresh leaves or branches of trees or other plants; wreaths.
In that ſoft Seaſon vvhen deſcending Shovvers / Call forth the Greens, and vvake the riſing Flovvers; […]1715, [Alexander] Pope, The Temple of Fame: A Vision, London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 7:
9
Any substance or pigment of a green color.
10
A green light used as a signal.
To the casual cockpit observer, landing-gear operation appears to be one of the most elementary tasks we have to perform. Either the switch is up and the lights are out, or it's down and there are three greens.1992, “How to Avoid the Most Embarrassing of Pilot Errors”, in Flying Magazine, volume 119, number 6, page 94:
You're better off smoking the green instead cause it don't blim-burn and it's better for your head.2003, “Soap Bar”, in The Manifesto, performed by Goldie Looking Chain:
They see me, hoes actin like they seen a king / With that mean lean, smokin on that finest Cali green2005, “Drive Slow”, in Late Registration, performed by Kanye West:
Today, actors say off-handedly, 'See you on the green' or 'I'll be in the green room' without giving the expressions much thought. In Shakespeare's day, actors changed behind the stage in the 'tiring house', […]2016, Bruce Montague, The Book of Shakespearian Useless Information:
From Middle English grene, from Old English grēne, from Proto-West Germanic *grōnī, from Proto-Germanic *grōniz, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁- (“to grow”). More at grow. Doublet of Gruen. See also North Frisian green, West Frisian grien, Dutch groen, Low German grön, green, greun, German grün, Danish and Norwegian Nynorsk grøn, Swedish grön, Norwegian Bokmål grønn, Faroese grønur, Icelandic grænn. The sense of obscene, pornographic, or sexual in the Philippines is a semantic loan from Spanish verde. In other varieties of English, blue is the color instead associated with obscenity or pornography.
The day was cool and snappy for August, and the Rise all green with a lavish nature. Now we plunged into a deep shade with the boughs lacing each other overhead, and crossed dainty, rustic bridges over the cold trout-streams, the boards giving back the clatter of our horses' feet:[…].1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
to look so green and palec. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene vii]:
3
Unripe, said of certain fruits that change color when they ripen.
John's kind of green, so take it easy on him this first week.
I might be angry[…] with the officious zeal which supposes that its green conceptions can instruct my grey hairs.1822, [Walter Scott], Peveril of the Peak. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC:
1 more example
He acted like a green racehorse, plunging over his jumps, tearing to the front of the field of riders.2008, Richard R. Rust, Renegade Champion: The Unlikely Rise of Fitzrada, page 91:
In its most extreme formulation, this vision has devolved into a caricature of Islam as the "Green Peril" (green is the colour of Islam) advancing across the world stage, an image that echoes both the "Red Menace" of Cold War discourse and anti-Asian polemics about the "Yellow Peril".1999, Roxanne L. Euben, Enemy in the Mirror: Islamic Fundamentalism and the Limits of Modern Rationalism, page 6:
Some politicians tried to encourage this replacement of the red with a green menace.2006, Benjamin Soares, Muslim-Christian encounters in Africa, page 11:
1 more example
While Bill Clinton struggled during the 1990s to bring order to a chaotic world increasingly wracked by ethnic and religious conflict, critics detected signs that a new "green" threat - radical Islam - was supplanting the earlier "red threat" - international communism - that had kept every president from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan awake at night.2009, Douglas Little, American Orientalism: The United States and the Middle East since 1945, page 317:
6
Figuratively Full of life and vigour; fresh and vigorous; new; recent; young.
a green manhood
a green wound
2 more examples
as valid against such an old and beneficent government as against […] the greenest usurpation1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], →OCLC:
"How old was I when you first took me in a boat?" "Five and you were nearly a man when I brought the fish in too green and he nearly tore the boat to pieces. Can you remember?"1952, Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, page 12:
7
Figuratively, Of people Naive or unaware of obvious facts.
As towns continue to grow, replanting vegetation has become a form of urban utopia and green roofs are spreading fast. Last year 1m square metres of plant-covered roofing was built in France, as much as in the US, and 10 times more than in Germany, the pioneer in this field.2013 May 10, Audrey Garric, “Urban canopies let nature bloom”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 22, page 30:
The Earth is facing a climate crisis, but it’s also getting greener and leafier. According to new research, the rise is largely courtesy of China and India.2019 February 13, Emily Dixon, “China and India are making the planet greener, NASA says”, in CNN:
Oatly said it hoped Blackstone’s investment would inspire other private equity firms “to steer their collective worth of $4 trillion into green investments.”2021 May 18, Jack Ewing, Lauren Hirsch, “The Big Money Is Going Vegan”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 21 May 2021:
10
Government, PoliticsCapitalized, Sometimes Of a green party, environmentalism-oriented.
11
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Describing a pitch which, even if there is no visible grass, still contains a significant amount of moisture.
12
Dated Of bacon or similar smallgoods: unprocessed, raw, unsmoked; not smoked or spiced.
We say the meat is green when half roasted.1725, Isaac Watts, Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726, →OCLC:
Following initial drying of film in a motion picture laboratory (after treatment in a hardening-fixing bath) the gelatin structure of an emulsion contracts and is permanently changed. The hardening action still continues for a time as a further small amount of residual moisture is given up. While traces of excess moisture remain, the emulsion is "green," relatively soft, […]1947, Theatre Catalog, volume 5, page 570:
[…] attaching pre-photographed and pre-printed footage of a focusing chart to daily film footage without taking into consideration that such film may be worn or dried out and therefore, in its plane of best focus, would not be identical to that of the green film of the daily rushes.1961, American Cinematographer, volume 42, page 618:
15
Of freshly cut wood or lumber that has not been dried: containing moisture and therefore relatively more flexible or springy.
That timber is still too green to be used.
The wood yard was a series of vacant lots where some mysterious person piled cords and cords of wood, which smelled sweet and green and gave out cool breaths.1913, Zona Gale, “III. One for the Money”, in When I Was a Little Girl, page 43:
Philippines, Informal Having a sexual connotation; indecent; lewd; risqué; obscene; profane.
18
Natural sciences, Physical sciences, PhysicsParticle Having a color charge of green.
19
Being or relating to the green currencies of the European Union.
the green pound
the green lira
20
Academia, Scholarly, Sciences Subject to or involving a model of open access in which a published article is only available to read for free after an embargo period.
Coordinate term: gold
Today most open access in medicine and biomedicine is gold, but in every other field it's mostly green.2013 October 21, Peter Suber, “Open access: six myths to put to rest”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 03 Jun 2023:
21
Engineering, Metallurgy, Natural sciences, Physical sciences Of or pertaining to a part formed from compacted metal powder which has not yet undergone sintering to improve its strength.
The pressure required to obtain a given green density depends upon the metal powder material being pressed. Excessive pressures can present some complex problems such as punch and die fractures, slip cracks and cleavage fractures in the green part. Although high pressures are required for pressing high density shapes they should not be excessive.2014 April 17, Michael Russo, “Understanding the Powdered Metal Process: Spotlight on Compacting”, in National Bronze, archived from the original on 14 Oct 2024:
22
Having a status (as correct, ready, or safe) denoted or coded by the color green.
Conditions all green! Standby...OK! It is time!2004, Intelligent Systems, translated by Nintendo of America, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Nintendo, GameCube, level/area: Fahr Outpost: