oleaster

American  

[oh-lee-as-ter] / ˌoʊ liˈæs tər /

noun

1. an ornamental shrub or small tree, Elaeagnus angustifolia, of Eurasia, having fragrant yellow flowers and an olivelike fruit.

---

oleaster British  

/ ˌəʊlɪˈæstə /

noun

1. any of several shrubs of the genus Elaeagnus, esp E. angustifolia, of S Europe, Asia, and North America, having silver-white twigs, yellow flowers, and an olive-like fruit: family Elaeagnaceae

2. Also called: wild olive. a wild specimen of the cultivated olive

---

Etymology

Origin of oleaster

before 1000; Middle English < Latin: wild olive tree, derivative of olea olive

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

oleaster

—Can any of your correspondents tell me why the termination aster is used in a depreciatory sense in Latin, as poetaster, a bad poet; oleaster, the wild olive; pinaster, the wild pine?

From Notes and Queries, Vol. IV, Number 91, July 26, 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Various

Olive be admitted, tho’ it produce no other fruit than the verdure of the leaf; nor will it kindly breath our air, nor the less tender oleaster, without the indulgent winter-house take them in.

From Sylva, Vol. 1 (of 2) Or A Discourse of Forest Trees by John Nisbet

Some punster will say, respecting oleaster, that it is olea sterilis.

From Notes and Queries, Vol. IV, Number 103, October 18, 1851 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc. by Various

Take for a sign the plenteous growth hard by Of oleaster, and the fields strewn wide With woodland berries.

From The Georgics by Virgil

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---