-ole

¹ American  

1. a suffix found in French loanwords of Latin origin, usually diminutives, and later in adaptations of words borrowed directly from Latin or in New Latin coinages: centriole;

   areole;

   centriole;

   vacuole.

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-ole ² American  

1. a suffix used in names of chemical compounds, especially five-membered, unsaturated rings (carbazole; indole; thiazole ) and, less systematically, aromatic ethers (anisole; safrole ).

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olé ³ American  

[oh-ley] / oʊˈleɪ /

interjection

1. (used as a shout of approval, triumph, or encouragement.)

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noun

1. a cry of “olé.”

ole- ⁴ American  

1. variant of oleo- before a vowel.

   oleiferous.

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-ole ¹ British  

combining form

1. denoting an organic unsaturated compound containing a 5-membered ring

   thiazole

2. denoting an aromatic organic ether

   anisole

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olé ² British  

/ əʊˈleɪ /

interjection

1. an exclamation of approval or encouragement customary at bullfights, flamenco dancing, and other Spanish or Latin American events

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noun

1. a cry of olé

-ole ³ British  

suffix

1. indicating something small

   arteriole

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OLE ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. object linking and embedding: a system for linking and embedding data, images, and programs from different sources

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Usage

What does olé mean? Olé is an exclamation of approval, encouragement, or victory. The unrelated word ole, without the accent mark over the e, is simply a version of the word old meant to imitate how it is sometimes pronounced.Olé, pronounced [ oh-LAY ], comes from Spanish and is often associated with its use during Spanish or Latin American events or activities, such as when it’s shouted by spectators during bullfights or certain dances. More recently, it has become a popular chant by fans at soccer (football) games, especially to mark a team’s victory.Ole (pronounced like old without the d) is colloquial, meaning it’s typically used in informal conversation. It’s especially used to intensify the meaning of another adjective that it’s paired with, as in Look at that big ole truck. It’s sometimes spelled ol’.Example: When I visited Spain, I finally got to see people chanting, "Olé!" in a big ole arena, just like in the movies!

Etymology

Origin of -ole¹

From French, from Latin -olus, -ola, -olum, variant of -ulus -ule with stems ending in a vowel

Origin of -ole²

< French < Latin oleum oil

Origin of olé³

First recorded in 1910–15; from Spanish ole, olé, from Arabic wa-llāh “and Allah,” from wa “and” + allāh “God, Allah”

Example Sentences

“The sense that the market is well supplied, at least in the near term, continues to outweigh episodic geopolitical risk premiums,” said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

From Barron's

Mr. James also has a challenging role as the crusty salt who curses “dat ole davil sea” almost as many times as Hickey drones on about “pipe dreams” in “The Iceman Cometh.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“Silver’s relentless surge in 2025 will be remembered as one of the most dramatic revaluations in modern precious metals history,” said Saxo Bank’s head of commodity strategy Ole Hansen.

From Barron's

No. 5 Oregon, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 8 Oklahoma will host first-round games on Dec. 19 and 20.

From The Wall Street Journal

He spent nearly a week in the hospital and missed the next week’s game before returning to play with a cast that now sits in a display case at Ole Miss.

From Los Angeles Times