Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

oleaster

 - 3 dictionary results

o⋅le⋅as⋅ter

  [oh-lee-as-ter]
Use oleaster in a Sentence
–noun
an ornamental shrub or small tree, Elaeagnus angustifolia, of Eurasia, having fragrant yellow flowers and an olivelike fruit.
Also called Russian olive.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME < L: wild olive tree, deriv. of olea olive
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To oleaster
o·le·as·ter   (ō'lē-ās'tər)   
n.   In both senses also called Russian olive, silverberry.

  1. A small Eurasian tree (Elaeagnus angustifolia) having oblong silvery leaves, fragrant greenish flowers, and olivelike fruit.

  2. The fruit of this tree.


[Middle English, from Latin, from olea, olive tree; see oleaginous.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Encyclopedia

oleaster

small deciduous tree of Eurasia, about 4.5 to 6 m (15 to 20 feet) high. It has smooth, dark brown branches that often bear spines and narrow, light green leaves that are silvery on the undersides from a covering of minute scales. The flowers are small, greenish, fragrant, and silvery-scaled on the outside, as are the edible, olive-shaped, yellowish fruits, which are sweet but mealy. The oleaster is hardy, wind resistant, tolerant of poor, dry sites, and thus useful in windbreak hedges, but it is also widely used in ornamental hedges.

Learn more about oleaster with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see oleaster on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way