olive

English Online Dictionary. What means olive‎? What does olive mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English olyve, from Old French olive (“olive, olive tree”), from Latin olīva (“olive”), itself either from Etruscan *𐌄𐌋𐌄𐌉𐌅𐌀 (*eleiva), Pre-Classical Greek *ἐλαίϝα (*elaíwa) (compare Mycenaean Greek 𐀁𐀨𐀷 (e-ra-wa), Ancient Greek ἐλαία (elaía)), 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. Displaced native Old English eleberġe, literally "oil berry."

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: ŏl'ĭv, IPA^(key): /ˈɒ.lɪv/
• (US) enPR: ä'lĭv, IPA^(key): /ˈɑ.lɪv/

Noun

olive (plural olives)

1. A tree of species Olea europaea cultivated since ancient times in the Mediterranean for its fruit and the oil obtained from it.
3. The small oval fruit of this tree, eaten ripe (usually black) or unripe (usually green).
4. The wood of the olive tree.
6. A dark yellowish-green color, that of an unripe olive.

7. (neuroanatomy) An olivary body, part of the medulla oblongata.
8. 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.
9. (cooking) A small slice of meat seasoned, rolled up, and cooked.

   a beef olive

   olives of veal

10. Any shell of the genus Oliva and allied genera; so called from the shape.
11. (UK, dialect) An oystercatcher, a shore bird of genus Haematopus.

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Maori: ōriwa

Translations

Adjective

olive (comparative more olive, superlative most olive)

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

Related terms

• oil
• oleaster
• olivenite
• olivewood
• Olivia
• olivine

Translations

See also

• à la grecque
• Castile soap
• Gethsemane
• Wiktionary appendix of colours

References

Anagrams

• lovie, viole, voile

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French olive, from Latin olīva.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ.liv/

Noun

olive f (plural olives)

1. olive

Derived terms

• huile d’olive
• olive noire
• olive verte
• olivier

Descendants

• Romanian: olivă

Further reading

• “olive”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• viole, violé, voile, voilé

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oˈli.ve/
• Rhymes: -ive
• Hyphenation: o‧lì‧ve

Noun

olive f

1. plural of oliva

Anagrams

• Elvio, ovile, viole, voile

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

olive

1. Alternative form of olyve

Etymology 2

Adjective

olive

1. Alternative form of alyve

Middle High German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin oliva.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (before 13^th CE) /ˈoliːvə/, /ˈoliːfə/

Noun

olīve f

1. olive tree

   Synonym: öleboum

Declension

Related terms

Descendants

• German: Olive
  • →? Hunsrik: Oliv

References

• Benecke, Georg Friedrich, Müller, Wilhelm, Zarncke, Friedrich (1863) “olive”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel
• "olīve" in Köbler, Gerhard, Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch (3rd edition 2014)

Old French

Etymology

From Latin olīva.

Noun

olive m or f

1. olive tree

Noun

olive oblique singular, f (oblique plural olives, nominative singular olive, nominative plural olives)

1. olive

Descendants

• → English: olive
• French: olive
  • Romanian: olivă

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔlivɛ/

Noun

olive

1. dative singular of oliva
2. locative singular of oliva