OLIVE

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin oliva, from Greek elaia Date: 13th century 1. a Mediterranean evergreen tree ( Olea europaea of the family Oleaceae, the ~ family) cultivated for its drupaceous fruit that is an important food and source of oil, any of various shrubs and trees resembling the ~, any of several colors resembling that of the unripe fruit of the ~ tree that are yellowish green, an oval eminence on each ventrolateral aspect of the medulla oblongata, II. adjective Date: 1657 of the color ~ or ~ green, approaching ~ in color or complexion