vine

American  

[vahyn] / vaɪn /

noun

1. any plant having a long, slender stem that trails or creeps on the ground or climbs by winding itself about a support or holding fast with tendrils or claspers.

2. the stem of any such plant.

3. a grape plant.

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vine ¹ British  

/ vaɪn /

noun

1. any of various plants, esp the grapevine, having long flexible stems that creep along the ground or climb by clinging to a support by means of tendrils, leafstalks, etc

2. the stem of such a plant

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Vine ² British  

/ vaɪn /

noun

1. Barbara. See (Ruth) Rendell

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vine Idioms  

1. see clinging vine; wither on the vine.

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Other Word Forms

• vined adjective
• vineless adjective
• vinelike adjective
• viny adjective

Etymology

Origin of vine

1250–1300; Middle English < Old French vi ( g ) ne < Latin vīnea vine(yard), equivalent to vīn ( um ) wine + -ea, feminine of -eus -eous

Example Sentences

That is forcing vineyard owners from Bordeaux to Australia to rip up vines and leave grapes to rot in the fields.

From The Wall Street Journal

We do need to eliminate poverty for older Americans, but the answer lies in strengthening SSI, which has been allowed to wither on the vine.

From MarketWatch

Sunlight poured in from three tall windows, their curtains intricately embroidered with vines, birds, and blossoms.

From Literature

He curled spikily around her neck and they towed the wagon across the grassland, up to the tangled vines and ferns of the rain forest.

From Literature

Vineland, Will’s neighborhood, is indeed covered in vines and yet the vegetation appears organically integrated into the infrastructure.

From Los Angeles Times