olive branch

[ ol-iv branch ]
See synonyms for olive branch on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a branch of the olive tree as an emblem of peace: One of their national emblems is a white dove clutching the olive branch of peace.

  2. any token of peace: The new prime minister has pursued a reconciliation strategy,extending an olive branch to dissidents and rebel groups. Still in a snit, she snubbed his olive branch a few days later by blocking his phone call.

Origin of olive branch

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use olive branch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for olive branch

olive branch

noun
  1. a branch of an olive tree used to symbolize peace

  2. any offering of peace or conciliation

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for olive branch

olive branch

The branch brought by a dove to Noah's ark signifying that the flood was receding.

Notes for olive branch

An olive branch is now regarded as a sign of peace, as is the dove. (See hawks and doves.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with olive branch

olive branch

A symbol of peace, an offering of good will, as in They feuded for years, but finally the Hatfields came over bearing an olive branch. This term is alluded to in the Bible (Genesis 8:11), where the dove comes to Noah after the flood with an olive leaf in its mouth. [c. 1600]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.