myrtle

¹

[mur-tl]

noun

1. 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.

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

3. Also called myrtlewood. the hard, golden-brown wood of the California laurel.

4. Also called myrtle green. dark green with bluish tinge.

Myrtle

²

[mur-tl]

noun

1. a female given name.

myrtle

/ ˈmɜːtəl /

noun

1. 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

2. short for crape myrtle

3. bog myrtle another name for sweet gale

4. another name for periwinkle 2

Word History and Origins

Origin of myrtle¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of myrtle¹

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

Example Sentences

And don’t replace them with something like crape myrtle, which is pretty but doesn’t offer much shade for the space it takes up.

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That’s the sound of shade tree advocates unhappy that I’m mentioning crape myrtles in this list.

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On six acres among the dairy farms of southeast L.A., he grew ferns, myrtle and eucalyptus.

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The aromas the team tested on participants were vanilla, almond, lemon, lemon myrtle, eucalyptus, peppermint, vinegar and lemongrass.

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Tree varieties include Eureka lemon, pink guava, Golden Delicious apple, coast live oak, olive, crape myrtle, California sycamore, desert willow and torrey pines.

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