noun
olive
O-lihv
noun
1
A small oval fruit, usually eaten pickled or pressed for its oil, that grows on a Mediterranean tree.
"She added a handful of green olives to the salad."
"Olive oil is a staple of Mediterranean cooking."
2
The tree itself, cultivated for thousands of years around the Mediterranean.
"Ancient olive groves still stand across parts of Greece and Italy."
adj
1
A dull, yellowish-green colour, like an unripe olive.
"He wore an olive-green jacket."
How to Use Olive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe small Mediterranean fruit used for oil and as a garnish, or the muted green colour named after it.
Common mistake
An "olive branch" figuratively means a gesture of peace, not literally a branch from the tree.
Common pairings
olive oil
olive branch
olive tree
olive-green
Word Forms
more olive comparative, olives plural, most olive superlative
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She added a handful of green _____ to the salad.
Etymology
Traces through Old French and Latin oliva back to an ancient Mediterranean word, ultimately the same root that gives us "oil."