myrtle

[mur-tl]

noun

any plant of the genus Myrtus, especially M. communis, a shrub of southern Europe having evergreen leaves, fragrant white flowers, and aromatic berries: anciently held sacred to Venus and used as an emblem of love.Compare myrtle family.

any of certain unrelated plants, as the periwinkle, Vinca minor, and California laurel, Umbellularia californica.

Also called myr·tle·wood

[mur-tl-woo d] /ˈmɜr tlˌwʊd/. the hard, golden-brown wood of the California laurel.

Also called myrtle green. dark green with bluish tinge.

Nearby words

Origin of myrtle

1350–1400; Middle English mirtile < Medieval Latin myrtillus, equivalent to Latin myrt(us) (< Greek mýrtos) + New Latin -illus diminutive suffix

Myrtle

[mur-tl]

noun

a female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for myrtle

They were racing toward the corner of Tompkins and Myrtle avenues with Johnson at the wheel when another call came over the radio.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Traffic up ahead on Myrtle backed up, and Johnson began weaving in and out.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In 1987, Myrtle Young came on The Tonight Show to show off her rare collection of potato chips.
Johnny Carson’s Greatest Moments From Carnac to a Python Grapple|Brittany Jones-Cooper|May 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Myrtle Beach Tea Party leader Joe Dugan was one of those who said his attention is elsewhere.
The Daily Beast’s Guide to the South Carolina Primary|Matthew DeLuca|January 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST

By a wide margin, he came across as the least scary, least risky, most cautious choice on the stage at Myrtle Beach.
Picking Mitt Romney Is Picking the Least Scary Republican, Not the Most Inspiring|Michael Medved|January 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST
She has a myrtle wreath or a crown like her Norwegian sister.
The Etiquette of Engagement and Marriage|G. R. M. Devereux
Youre a deal too dashing and flashing to-night, Myrtle darlin.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
The breaths of thyme and balm, lavender and myrtle, were always in that parlour.
The Late Miss Hollingford|Rosa Mulholland
The Libyan lotus is a shrub like a bramble, the berries like the myrtle, purple when ripe, and about the size of an olive.
The Lusiad|Lus de Cames
Myrtle, Im afraid youre a determined woman, he said, with a provoking smile.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson

British Dictionary definitions for myrtle

myrtle

noun

any evergreen shrub or tree of the myrtaceous genus Myrtus, esp M. communis, a S European shrub with pink or white flowers and aromatic blue-black berries

short for crape myrtle

bog myrtleanother name for sweet gale

creeping myrtle or trailing myrtle US and Canadian another name for periwinkle 2 (def. 1)

Word Origin for myrtle

C16: from Medieval Latin myrtilla, from Latin myrtus, from Greek murtos

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for myrtle

myrtle

c.1400, from Old French mirtile, from Medieval Latin myrtillus, diminutive of Latin myrtus "myrtle tree," from Greek myrtos "the myrtle, a sprig of myrtle," from same Semitic source as Greek myrrha (see myrrh).