Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

olive

/ˈɒ.lɪv/ noun

In Latin: olīva, olea Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about olive at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Small ovoid fruit of the European olive tree; important food and source of oil.
Evergreen tree cultivated in the Mediterranean region since antiquity and now elsewhere; has edible shiny black fruits.
Hard yellow often variegated wood of an olive tree; used in cabinetwork.

adjective

Of a yellow-green color similar to that of an unripe olive.

Origin

From Middle English olyve, from Old French olive (“olive, olive tree”), from Latin olīva (“olive”), itself from either Etruscan *𐌄𐌋𐌄𐌉𐌅𐌀 (*eleiva), Proto-Hellenic *elaíwā (compare Mycenaean Greek 𐀁𐀨𐀷 (e-ra-wa), Ancient Greek ἐλαίᾱ (elaíā)), or the same source as those two. In any case, ultimately from a Mediterranean Pre-Greek source, possibly Proto-Berber *wlw (“wild olive”). More questionably, maybe from Proto-Indo-European *loiwom (compare Old Church Slavonic лои (loi, “tallow”), Old Armenian եւղ (ewł, “oil”)). Doublet of oliva and oil. Displaced native Old English eleberġe, literally "oil berry."

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word