1
a
: a Mediterranean evergreen tree (Olea europaea of the family Oleaceae, the olive family) cultivated for its drupaceous fruit that is an important food and source of oil
also
: the fruit
b
: any of various shrubs and trees resembling the olive
2
: any of several colors resembling that of the unripe fruit of the olive tree that are yellowish green
3
: an oval eminence on each ventrolateral aspect of the medulla oblongata
1
: of the color olive or olive green
2
: approaching olive in color or complexion
Examples of olive in a Sentence
Noun
a sauce made with chopped olives
Does the suit come in olive?
Recent Examples on the Web
Hannah Malach, WWD, 24 Oct. 2024
Get colors black, olive, and white are currently on sale for $25 off the original price.
—Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024
Kathryn Romeyn, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2024
The man’s olive skin had a bluish tinge and whoever had called 911 thought fentanyl, a powerful pain reliever, was the cause.
—Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2024
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Noun
You May Also Like Emerald, chartreuse and olive tones are poised for popularity this season following Pantone’s Color Trend Report.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 24 Oct. 2024
Get colors black, olive, and white are currently on sale for $25 off the original price.
—Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Now the deluxe interior is a true reflection of not only the idyllic environs beyond its walls—olive groves, vineyards, expansive blue skies, and prolific cacti—but also of the two men responsible for its loving evolution.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Architectural Digest, 30 Oct. 2024
The man’s olive skin had a bluish tinge and whoever had called 911 thought fentanyl, a powerful pain reliever, was the cause.
—Blake Nelson, The Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for olive
Dictionary Entries Near olive
Cite this Entry
“Olive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olive. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
olive
noun
ol·ive
ˈäl-iv, -əv 
1
: an Old World evergreen tree (Olea europaea of the family Oleaceae, the olive family) cultivated for its drupaceous fruit that is an important food and source of oil
also
: the fruit
2
: an oval eminence on each ventrolateral aspect of the medulla oblongata that contains the inferior olive of the same side
called also olivary body
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