myrtle

[ mur-tl ]

/ ˈmɜr tl /

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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-wood]. /ˈmɜr tlˌwʊd/. the hard, golden-brown wood of the California laurel.

Also called myrtle green . dark green with bluish tinge.

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Origin of myrtle

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

Words nearby myrtle

myrobalan, myron, myrrh, Myrrha, myrtaceous, myrtle, Myrtle Beach, myrtle family, myrtle warbler, mySAP, myself

Other definitions for myrtle (2 of 2)

Myrtle

[ mur-tl ]

/ ˈmɜr tl /

noun

a female given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use myrtle in a sentence

Around age 14, he got a letter from a little-known sister, Myrtle, telling him their mother had died the previous week.
Archie Roach, a mesmerizing voice of Indigenous Australia, dies at 66|Harrison Smith|August 4, 2022|Washington Post
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
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
And suddenly, your dad is ranting about socialism while Aunt Myrtle lectures your sister about the ho-mo-sex-ual agenda.
How to Avoid a Thanksgiving Food Fight|Michelle Cottle|November 21, 2012|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
Then her cheeks began to pale, till they were tinged like the creamy plumes of the white crepe myrtle that grew in the ruin.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
But she gazes beyond the salon, back into the big dining hall, where the white crepe myrtle grows.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Myrtle, youre looking as fresh as the first roses, said King OLeary artfully.
The Woman Gives|Owen Johnson
But Lady Myrtle Goodacre has never seen fit to call upon me, so it is all of a piece.
Robin Redbreast|Mary Louisa Molesworth
Lady Myrtle smiled, and gave a little pat to Frances's shining tangle of curly hair.
Robin Redbreast|Mary Louisa Molesworth

British Dictionary definitions for myrtle

myrtle

/ (ˈmɜːtəl) /

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