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Definition of privet - 3 dictionary results

priv⋅et

[priv-it]
–noun
any of various deciduous or evergreen shrubs of the genus Ligustrum, esp. L. vulgare, having clusters of small white flowers and commonly grown as a hedge.

Origin:
1535–45; orig. uncert.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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priv·et   (prĭv'ĭt)   
n.  
  1. Any of several shrubs of the genus Ligustrum, especially L. vulgare or L. ovalifolium, having opposite leaves and clusters of white flowers and widely used for hedges.

  2. Any of several similar or related plants.


[Origin unknown.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

privet 
type of evergreen shrub, 1542, of unknown origin. Early forms primet, primprint (1548) perhaps suggest some connection with prime.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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