an evergreen tree, Olea europaea, of Mediterranean and other warm regions, cultivated chiefly for its fruit.
the fruit of this tree, a small oval drupe, eaten as a relish and used as a source of oil.
Also called olive wood. the wood of this tree, valued for ornamental work.
the foliage of this tree.
a wreath of it.
any of various related or similar trees.
the ocher green or dull yellow green of the unripe olive fruit.
of, relating to, or made of olives, their foliage, or their fruit.
of the color olive.
tinged with this color.
an olive complexion.
an evergreen oleaceous tree, Olea europaea, of the Mediterranean region but cultivated elsewhere, having white fragrant flowers, and edible shiny black fruits
the fruit of this plant, eaten as a relish and used as a source of olive oil
the wood of the olive tree, used for ornamental work
any of various trees or shrubs resembling the olive
a yellow-green colour
( as adjective )
an olive coat
an angler's name for the dun of various mayflies or an artificial fly in imitation of this
1150–1200; Middle English < Old French < Latin olīva, by-form of olea < dialectal Greek *elaíwa olive, olive tree; cf. oil, oleaceous
An olive is a very small fruit, although you probably think of it as a savory snack. You might find an olive on a salad, on a pizza, or even on a toothpick in your martini. Olives are so naturally bitter that they're basically inedible unless they've been treated — cured with lye or salt, and then fermented. In addition to the olives you see in jars on grocery store shelves, olive trees yield an expensive, durable wood; and of course, olive oil. You can also describe the yellowish-green color of an unripe olive as olive. And when someone offers "an olive branch," they are trying to make peace or come to an understanding.
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Tossed with olive oil, tomatoes, jalapeño, feta and Parmesan cheese, the expertly al dente Rustichella rigatoni is not your everyday mac ‘n’ cheese dinner.
From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026
Meanwhile, the last few months have also seen Washington and Delhi offering an olive branch to each other.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
“Edelweiss,” mistaken at times for an actual Austrian folk song instead of an American creation, hasn’t always been a welcome olive branch.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
To that end, this skillet starts, as many good things do, with a slick of olive oil shimmering in the pan.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
How she could ward off the malocchio, the evil eye, with a prayer and the dip of her pinkie into a bowl of water sprinkled with a few drops of olive oil.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
