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olive

olive

62 2.3
A dull yellow-green color often used for clothes and walls
  • noun
  • /ˈɑːlɪv/
translation icon : verde oliva
  • The drop-waisted skirt was horizontally striped in alternating olive-green and purple bars.
  • olive green
  • olive drab
  • light olive

Examples

  • Two goldfinches, the male a bright canary yellow, the female a lovely, muted olive color, flew into the yard.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • You have white skin, sort of, but what about that olive color and that frizzy black hair?

    Academic text (1999)
  • Look at this beautiful olive color, Dakota.

  • Their response ranged from "dark" to "brown" through "light brown," "tan," "olive," and then "white."

    Academic text (2011)
  • With her curly black hair, olive complexion, and green eyes, she could pass.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • You're wearing my colors: Mauve and olive green.

  • Remember: The night that guy in the olive-colored pickup pulled behind you and blasted his horn.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The walls were painted in a soft olive hue, creating a calming atmosphere in the room.

  • She chose an olive dress for the party, which complemented her complexion perfectly.

  • The artist selected an olive shade to capture the essence of the ripe fruit in his painting.

Synonyms

olive-colored
vsolive
1 3.7

A yellow-green color like green olives

is duller and less saturated than that shade
olive-green
vsolive
2.9

A yellowish green color slightly lighter than dark green

is darker and less green than that lighter shade

Antonyms

235 1.0

Having a strong, vivid color that is easy to notice

29 3.6

Full of bright, strong colors that attract attention

1 3.9

A color that is very strong and not mixed with white or grey

Idioms

2 4.2

Offer to make peace after an argument

Compounds

126 1.0

A liquid made by pressing olives used for cooking and salads

olive branch
  • Informal
12 3.7

A gesture showing a wish to make peace after a disagreement

8 1.4

A small tree that keeps its leaves all year and makes olives for food and oil

5 1.4

A ripe dark olive preserved in salt water or oil and used in cooking

2 2.1

A small unripe olive kept in salty water and often eaten as a snack or on salads

1 2.7

A liquid that comes from olives used in cooking or drinks

A dark purple olive with an almond shape from Greece used in salads

1 2.1

An olive picked when fully ripe and kept for eating

1 5.1

A dull green-brown color often used for military clothes and gear

A yellow-green color like green olives

1 6.3

A light brownish-green color that you see on military uniforms

1 2.4

A dark yellowish green color like leaves and army uniforms

California olive
  • Specialized
8.8

A coastal tree with fragrant leaves, small clusters of creamy flowers, and olive-like fruit

9.5

A spiny desert shrub that makes small pale flowers and black berries

A small tree from the southern United States that has white flowers and dark purple fruit

An evergreen tree that grows in the Mediterranean and produces olives for food and oil

8.4

A small tree or bush with silvery leaves, small yellow fruits, and sometimes thorns

A brown color with a small touch of green like olives

A United States Army uniform made of dull green cloth

A gray color with a hint of olive green

A yellowish green color slightly lighter than dark green

olive family
  • Specialized
5.6

A group of flowering trees and shrubs like olive, jasmine, and lilac

olive ridley
  • Specialized
7.3

A small sea turtle with an olive-colored shell that often nests in large groups on beaches

A brown color with a greenish tinge like green olives

About the size of an olive

A red mushroom that glows faintly and grows on olive trees

wild olive
  • Indian
8.9

A shrub or climbing plant with small red fruits like olives

How Yellow-Green

olive
62 2.3

Surface Forms

olive singular
olives plural

Etymology

Olive The color name olive comes from the fruit's name in Latin oliva and Greek elaia, because many olives have a dull yellow-green look; that's why 'olive' now means that particular color.