chive

American  

[chahyv] / tʃaɪv /

noun

chives plural

1. a small bulbous plant, Allium schoenoprasum, related to the leek and onion, having long, slender leaves that are used as a seasoning.

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chive British  

/ tʃaɪv /

noun

1. Also called: chives.  a small Eurasian purple-flowered alliaceous plant, Allium schoenoprasum, whose long slender hollow leaves are used in cooking to flavour soups, stews, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• chives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chive

1350–1400; Middle English cive < Anglo-French chive, Old French cive ≪ Latin caepa onion

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chive chives

My mom went back to transforming pork and chive filling and dough circles into intricately pleated dumplings and asked what I wanted to eat.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2023

Health officials believe daffodil poisoning led to 10 hospitalisation in Bristol in 2012 because of their similarity to a chive used in Chinese cooking.

From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2023

Garnish with the small whole herb leaves and chive blossoms, if using.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 12, 2022

Likewise, onion, scallion, and/or chive are all respected but not needed here.

From Salon ● May 5, 2022

Add that to all the chive, dillweed, and lemon balm growing around the porch and the smell could knock you over.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

Lemon zest and chives added at the end keep all that buttery richness feeling bright.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

Add the asparagus and let everything turn glossy for a few minutes, then toss with sweet snap peas, chives and al dente pasta.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

One flank is covered with tranquil forests and fields where typical local crops like spinach, sorrel and chives grow.

From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025

There’s also crispy red rice and TJ’s Green Goddess Ranch Dressing, which is made from buttermilk, champagne vinegar, lemon, parsley, basil, green onion and chives.

From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2025

I copied their technique of pulling up yellow-green stalks, removing the outer layer, and crunching on surprisingly tasty chives.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer