olive
/ˈɑ.lɪv/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.09 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A tree of species Olea europaea cultivated since ancient times in the Mediterranean for its fruit and the oil obtained from it.
noun
The wood of the olive tree.
noun
An olivary body, part of the medulla oblongata.
Example Sentences
- "Trevor, like an Aussie outbacker, eats snacks and a pickup meal of bread, cantaloupe, olives, mangoes, and melon."
- "a beef olive"
- "olives of veal"
- "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."
- "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.¹⁹⁶"
- "And hear me swear a solemn oath, / That only by thy side / Will I to Olive plight my troth, / And gain her for my bride."
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."
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: olyve, olive, olīva, *𐌄𐌋𐌄𐌉𐌅𐌀, *elaíwā, -
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈɑ.lɪv/
- British English: /ˈɒ.lɪv/
Usage
- British usage