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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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Debbie and Reed Olive, meanwhile, said they usually attend games for the promotions.
From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026
At Cheesecake Factory, she orders off the menu listing entrees with 590 calories or less, and she gets lower-calorie shrimp scampi at Olive Garden.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Analysts forecast profits at Darden, which runs the Capital Grille and Olive Garden restaurant chains, to grow 11% in 2026 and 7% in 2027.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Now they live in a house with a garden, they let Olive out unsupervised because she has so much energy and the couple work long hours.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026
“What is this?” she asks, but it doesn’t sound like sandpapery, you-better-give-me-an-answer-right-away Olive at all.
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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.
