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olive

noun, adj — 10 senses

olive

noun

UK /ˈɒ.lɪv/ · US /ˈɑ.lɪv/

Etymology

From Middle English olyve, from Old French olive (“olive, olive tree”), from Latin olīva (“olive”), itself from either Etruscan *𐌄𐌋𐌄𐌉𐌅𐌀 (*eleiva), Proto-Hellenic *elaíwā (compare Mycenaean Greek 𐀁𐀨𐀷 (e-ra-wa), Ancient Greek ἐλαίᾱ (elaíā)), or the same source as those two. In any case, ultimately from a Mediterranean Pre-Greek source, possibly Proto-Berber *wlw (“wild olive”). More questionably, maybe from Proto-Indo-European *loiwom (compare Old Church Slavonic лои (loi, “tallow”), Old Armenian եւղ (ewł, “oil”)). Doublet of oliva and oil. Displaced native Old English eleberġe, literally "oil berry."

9 senses
  1. 1A tree of species Olea europaea cultivated since ancient…
  2. 2The small oval fruit of this tree, eaten ripe (usually…
  3. 3The wood of the olive tree.
  4. 4A dark yellowish-green color, that of an unripe olive.
  5. 5An olivary body, part of the medulla oblongata.
  6. 6A component of a plumbing compression joint; a ring…
  7. 7A small slice of meat seasoned, rolled up, and cooked.
  8. 8Any shell of the genus Oliva and allied genera; so…
  9. 9An oystercatcher, a shore bird of genus Haematopus.
1

A tree of species Olea europaea 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).

  • Trevor, like an Aussie outbacker, eats snacks and a pickup meal of bread, cantaloupe, olives, mangoes, and melon.2010, Mary Ellen Snodgrass, Peter Carey: A Literary Companion, page 100:
3

The wood of the olive tree.

4

A dark yellowish-green color, that of an unripe olive.

5

Anatomy, Medicine, Neuroanatomy, Neurology, Neuroscience, Sciences 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

Cooking, Food, Lifestyle A small slice of meat seasoned, rolled up, and cooked.

  • a beef olive
  • olives of veal
8

Any shell of the genus Oliva and allied genera; so called from the shape.

9

UK, Dialectal An oystercatcher, a shore bird of genus Haematopus.

Derived terms
100 termsautumn olive, beef olive, black olive, Bohemian olive, Chinese olive, dwarf olive, first olive out of the bottle, first olive out of the jar, green olive, holly olive, kalamata olive, Mission olive, mock olive, Mount Olive, netted olive, Niçoise olive, olivaceous, olive baboon, oliveback, olive-backed oriole, olive-backed pipit, olive-backed sunbird, olive-backed thrush, olive barb, olive bee-eater, olive box, olive-branched, olive-branch, olive branch, olive bread, olive bulbul, olive burger, olive coleus, olive colobus, olive crown, olived, olive drab, olive finch, olive flounder, olive fly, olive flyrobin, olive fruit fly, olive green, Olive Green, olive grove, olivegrower, olivegrowing, olive honeyeater, olive ibis, olive juice, olive knot, olive lace bug, oliveless, olivelike, olive loaf, olive long-tailed cuckoo, olive mangrove, olive marsh snake, olive moth, oliveness, olive oil, olive oil press, olive ore, olive oropendola, olive plum, olive pomace oil, olive press, olive python, olive quick decline syndrome, olive ridley, olive ridley sea turtle, olive scab, olive scale, olivescent, olive sea snake, olivesheen, olive shell, olive-sided flycatcher, olive snail, olive sparrow, olive spinetail, olive sunbird, olive thrush, olive tree, olive tubercle, olive warbler, olive whistler, olive woodpecker, olive wreath, olivey, oliveyard, oliviform, olivin, olivite, queen olive, Russian olive, sand olive, spurge olive, tea olive, wild olive

olive

adj
Etymology

From Middle English olyve, from Old French olive (“olive, olive tree”), from Latin olīva (“olive”), itself from either Etruscan *𐌄𐌋𐌄𐌉𐌅𐌀 (*eleiva), Proto-Hellenic *elaíwā (compare Mycenaean Greek 𐀁𐀨𐀷 (e-ra-wa), Ancient Greek ἐλαίᾱ (elaíā)), or the same source as those two. In any case, ultimately from a Mediterranean Pre-Greek source, possibly Proto-Berber *wlw (“wild olive”). More questionably, maybe from Proto-Indo-European *loiwom (compare Old Church Slavonic лои (loi, “tallow”), Old Armenian եւղ (ewł, “oil”)). Doublet of oliva and oil. Displaced native Old English eleberġe, literally "oil berry."

1

Of a grayish green color, that of an unripe olive.

  • Appleby[…]rose from his seat when Morales came in. He shook hands urbanely, unbuckled his sword, and laid his kepi on the table, and then sat down with an expression of concern in his olive face which Appleby fancied was assumed.1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 22, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
  • The “little green men”—faces covered, wearing unmarked olive uniforms, speaking Russian and using Russian weapons—have played a significant role in both the occupation of Crimea and the civil war in eastern Ukraine.¹⁹⁶2015, Shane R. Reeves, David Wallace, “The Combatant Status of the “Little Green Men” and Other Participants in the Ukraine Conflict”, in International Law Studies, US Naval War College, volume 91, number 361, Stockton Center for the Study of International Law, page 393:
Related terms
oil, oleaster, olivenite, olivewood, Olivia, olivine, à la grecque, Castile soap, Gethsemane, Wiktionary appendix of colours

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.