ivy
[ahy-vee]
- Also called English ivy. a climbing vine, Hedera helix, having smooth, shiny, evergreen leaves, small, yellowish flowers, and black berries, grown as an ornamental.
- any of various other climbing or trailing plants.
- (often initial capital letter) Ivy League(def 2).
- New England. mountain laurel.
Origin of ivy
before 900; Middle English ivi; Old English ifig; akin to German Efeu
Ivy
[ahy-vee]
- a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for ivy
Contemporary Examples
From the religious (‘The Holly and the Ivy’) to the secular (‘The Chipmunk Song’), my top 20.
In Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy, the self-induced, self-absorbed Greek tragedy of Andrew Lohse.
Ironically enough this madrassa is run mostly by Ivy League-educated Jews.
Dear White People takes place on the predominantly white campus of a fictional college with an Ivy League-leaning legacy.
The Ivy League and other top schools are producing no more than ‘excellent sheep,’ says William Deresiewicz.
Historical Examples
The ivy heard them, and she loved the oak-tree more and more.
A Little Book of Profitable TalesEugene Field
Since then the ivy has grown over them to hide their nakedness.
English VillagesP. H. Ditchfield
There it is, see—that grey building yonder, with its windows all smothered in ivy.'
Abbe Mouret's TransgressionEmile Zola
This kind of garland is made also of ivy, with small red balls.
Ivy's face is all puckered, as if she were on the point of tears.
A Bit O' Love (Fourth Series Plays)John Galsworthy
ivy
- any woody climbing or trailing araliaceous plant of the Old World genus Hedera, esp H. helix, having lobed evergreen leaves and black berry-like fruits
- any of various other climbing or creeping plants, such as Boston ivy, poison ivy, and ground ivy
Word Origin
Old English īfig; related to Old High German ebah, perhaps to Greek iphuon a plant
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for ivy
n.
Old English ifig, from West Germanic *ibakhs (cf. Middle Low German iflof, Dutch eiloof, Old High German ebahewi, German Efeu), of unknown origin; the second element in the Old High German word might be "hay."
Ivy bush as a sign of a tavern where wine is served is attested from mid-15c. Ivy League, inspired by the notion of old, ivy-coated walls, dates to 1933 (perhaps originally in reference to football; it consists of Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper