olivary

[ ol-uh-ver-ee ]

adjective

shaped like an olive.
of or relating to an olivary body

Origin of olivary

First recorded in 1535–45, olivary is from the Latin word olīvārius belonging to olives. See olive, -ary

Other words from olivary

in·ter·ol·i·var·y, adjective
post·ol·i·var·y, adjective

Words Nearby olivary

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

How to use olivary in a sentence

Semi-solids, like eyebrow pigment and eye ointments, were applied on olivary-pointed probes.
Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times | John Stewart Milne
It consists of a long shaft with an olivary point at one end and a spatula at the other.
Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times | John Stewart Milne
It consists of a small narrow scoop at one end and a simple probe without olivary enlargement at the other.
Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times | John Stewart Milne
A slender sound with slight olivary enlargement at either end is very frequently mentioned under the name by Galen.
Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times | John Stewart Milne
It consists of a handle with an olivary point at one end, and at the other a plate with transverse ridges.
Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times | John Stewart Milne

British Dictionary definitions for olivary

olivary

/ (ˈɒlɪvərɪ) /

adjective

shaped like an olive
anatomy of or relating to either of two masses of tissue (olivary bodies) on the forward portion of the medulla oblongata

Origin of olivary

C16: from Latin olivārius, from oliva olive

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

Browse