ivy

The word “ivy” means a climbing or trailing evergreen plant (genus Hedera) that clings to walls, trees, and fences. In plain terms, the climbing evergreen vine you see covering old walls and trees, or (informally) an Ivy League school.

“Ivy” is pronounced EYE-vee (/ˈaɪvi/ in IPA).

Here is “ivy” used in a sentence: “Ivy had crept up the entire side of the old brick house.”

“Ivy” is a noun.

The word “ivy” comes from Old English. From Old English "īfig", an ancient Germanic plant name going back to a very old Indo-European root — the plant itself has been climbing walls in English for well over a thousand years.

“Ivy” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Ivy” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a climbing or trailing evergreen plant (genus Hedera) that clings to walls, trees, and fences.

Ivy is the climbing evergreen plant of the genus Hedera that grows on walls, trees, and fences. Ivy League is an informal noun referring to a member of one of the prestigious old US universities traditionally covered in ivy-clad buildings, and the term likely borrows its name from the plant.

Common English ivy (Hedera helix) can cause skin irritation or an allergic rash in some people through contact with its sap, and its berries are mildly toxic if eaten. It should not be confused with poison ivy, which is a different plant entirely despite the shared name.

Ivy clings to surfaces using small aerial rootlets, and on sound brick or stone it generally causes little harm, but on walls with existing cracks or loose mortar it can work its way in and cause damage over time. It can also block gutters and trap moisture against woodwork.