Olive oil

Olive oil
Olive Ol"ive, n. [F., fr. L. oliva, akin to Gr. ?. See {Oil}.] 1. (Bot.) (a) A tree ({Olea Europ[ae]a}) with small oblong or elliptical leaves, axillary clusters of flowers, and oval, one-seeded drupes. The tree has been cultivated for its fruit for thousands of years, and its branches are the emblems of peace. The wood is yellowish brown and beautifully variegated. (b) The fruit of the olive. It has been much improved by cultivation, and is used for making pickles. Olive oil is pressed from its flesh. [1913 Webster]

2. (Zo["o]l.) (a) Any shell of the genus {Oliva} and allied genera; -- so called from the form. See {Oliva}. (b) The oyster catcher. [Prov. Eng.] [1913 Webster]

3. (a) The color of the olive, a peculiar dark brownish, yellowish, or tawny green. (b) One of the tertiary colors, composed of violet and green mixed in equal strength and proportion. [1913 Webster]

4. (Anat.) An olivary body. See under {Olivary}. [1913 Webster]

5. (Cookery) A small slice of meat seasoned, rolled up, and cooked; as, olives of beef or veal. [1913 Webster]

Note: Olive is sometimes used adjectively and in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, olive brown, olive green, olive-colored, olive-skinned, olive crown, olive garden, olive tree, olive yard, etc. [1913 Webster]

{Bohemian olive} (Bot.), a species of {El[ae]agnus} ({El[ae]agnus angustifolia}), the flowers of which are sometimes used in Southern Europe as a remedy for fevers.

{Olive branch}. (a) A branch of the olive tree, considered an emblem of peace. (b) (Fig.): A child.

{to hold out an olive branch}, to offer to make peace (with a rival or enemy).

{Olive brown}, brown with a tinge of green.

{Olive green}, a dark brownish green, like the color of the olive.

{Olive oil}, an oil expressed from the ripe fruit of the olive, and much used as a salad oil, also in medicine and the arts.

{Olive ore} (Min.), olivenite.

{Wild olive} (Bot.), a name given to the oleaster or wild stock of the olive; also variously to several trees more or less resembling the olive. [1913 Webster +PJC]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • olive oil — olive oils N MASS Olive oil is oil that is obtained by pressing olives. It is used for putting on salads or in cooking …   English dictionary

  • olive oil — n [U and C] a pale yellow or green oil obtained from olives and used in cooking …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • olive oil — olive ,oil noun count or uncount a type of oil made from OLIVES, used in cooking …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • olive oil — n. a light yellow oil pressed from ripe olives, used in cooking, salad dressings, liniments, soap, etc …   English World dictionary

  • Olive oil — Not to be confused with the cartoon character Olive Oyl. Olive oil A bottle of olive oil Fat composition Saturated fats Palmitic acid: 7.5–20.0% Steari …   Wikipedia

  • olive oil — noun oil from olives • Hypernyms: ↑vegetable oil, ↑oil • Substance Holonyms: ↑olive • Substance Meronyms: ↑oleic acid * * * noun, pl ⋯ oils [count, noncount] : a yellow to yellowish green oil th …   Useful english dictionary

  • olive oil — UK / US noun [countable/uncountable] Word forms olive oil : singular olive oil plural olive oils a type of oil made from olives, used in cooking …   English dictionary

  • olive oil — See under oil. * * * olive oil n a pale yellow to yellowish green nondrying oil obtained from the pulp of olives usu. by expression and used chiefly as a salad oil and in cooking, in toilet soaps, and as an emollient * * * [NF] the fixed oil… …   Medical dictionary

  • olive oil — alyvuogių aliejus statusas T sritis chemija apibrėžtis Aliejus, spaudžiamas iš alyvmedžio kaulavaisių. atitikmenys: angl. olive oil; Provence oil; sweet oil rus. оливковое масло; прованское масло ryšiai: sinonimas – Provanso aliejus …   Chemijos terminų aiškinamasis žodynas

  • olive oil — oil extracted by pressing olives …   English contemporary dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”