Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The hue of that portion of the visible spectrum lying between yellow and blue, evoked in the human observer by radiant energy with wavelengths of approximately 490 to 570 nanometers; any of a group of colors that may vary in lightness and saturation and whose hue is that of the emerald or somewhat less yellow than that of growing grass; one of the additive or light primaries; one of the psychological primary hues.
  • noun Something green in color.
  • noun Green growth or foliage, especially.
  • noun The branches and leaves of plants used for decoration.
  • noun Leafy plants or plant parts eaten as vegetables.
  • noun A grassy lawn or plot, especially.
  • noun A grassy area located usually at the center of a city or town and set aside for common use; a common.
  • noun Sports A putting green.
  • noun A green uniform.
  • noun Slang Money.
  • noun A supporter of a social and political movement that espouses global environmental protection, bioregionalism, social responsibility, and nonviolence.
  • adjective Of the color green.
  • adjective Abounding in or covered with green growth or foliage.
  • adjective Made with green or leafy vegetables.
  • adjective Characterized by mild or temperate weather.
  • adjective Not mature or ripe.
  • adjective Not grown up; young.
  • adjective Vigorous or robust.
  • adjective Lacking training or experience. synonym: young.
  • adjective Lacking sophistication or worldly experience; naive.
  • adjective Easily duped or deceived; gullible.
  • adjective Not yet fully processed, especially.
  • adjective Not dried or aged.
  • adjective Not cured or tanned.
  • adjective Beneficial to the environment or less harmful to the environment than others.
  • adjective Favoring or supporting environmentalism.
  • adjective Having a sickly or unhealthy appearance.
  • adjective Envious or jealous.
  • adjective Being a trail, as for skiing, marked with a sign having a green circle, indicating the easiest level of difficulty.
  • intransitive verb To become green.
  • intransitive verb To make green.
  • intransitive verb To design or organize so as to be beneficial or less harmful to the environment, especially in reducing the amount of pollution created.
  • idiom (around/about) Pale or sickly in appearance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In golf: The whole links or golf-course.
  • noun The putting-green, or portion of the links, devoid of hazards, within twenty yards of a hole.
  • noun A name sometimes given to Schweinfurt green.
  • noun An acid dyestuff made by sulphonating the foregoing and designated as azin green S.
  • noun Same as methyl green (which see, under green).
  • noun A basic coal-tar color of the diphenyl-naphthyl-methane type.
  • noun An obsolete form of grin.
  • In oyster-culture, to give (oysters) a green tinge about the gills by putting them in pits.
  • Of the color of ordinary foliage, or of unripe vegetation generally; verdant. See II., 1.
  • Immature with respect to age or judgment; raw; unskilled; easily imposed upon.
  • Due to or manifesting immaturity; proceeding from want of knowledge or judgment.
  • New; fresh; recent: as, a green wound; a green hide.
  • Full of life and vigor; fresh and vigorous; flourishing; undecayed.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English grene, from Old English grēne; see ghrē- in Indo-European roots. N., sense 7 translation of German (die) Grünen, (the) Greens, from grün, green.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English grene, from Old English grēne, from Proto-Germanic *grōniz (compare West Frisian grien, Dutch groen, German grün, Swedish grön Danish grøn), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrōni- (compare Old Church Slavonic грань (granĭ, "branch")), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰreh₁ (“to grow”). More at grow.

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Examples

  • If x is green, it no longer follows that S ought to apply ˜green™ to

    The Normativity of Meaning and Content Glüer, Kathrin 2009

  • “Rather than overwhelm you with a grossly inflated number of green search results, our double-vetted search engine provides instant, eco-weighted results based on what YOU'RE looking for not what some ‘green washing' marketer wants to sell you.

    Internet News: Green Consumer 2009

  • “Rather than overwhelm you with a grossly inflated number of green search results, our double-vetted search engine provides instant, eco-weighted results based on what YOU'RE looking for not what some ‘green washing' marketer wants to sell you.

    Internet News: Environment Archives 2009

  • “Rather than overwhelm you with a grossly inflated number of green search results, our double-vetted search engine provides instant, eco-weighted results based on what YOU'RE looking for not what some ‘green washing' marketer wants to sell you.

    Internet News: November 2009 Archives 2009

  • "SB 279 will dramatically increase the ability of individual homeowners and property owners to join the green building movement and use alternative energy to ´green´ their homes," according to Senator Hancock.

    California Chronicle 2009

  • x, whereas if x is not green it just follows that it is not the case that S ought to apply ˜green™ to

    The Normativity of Meaning and Content Glüer, Kathrin 2009

  • ** those in @@color (red): red@@ are gases ** those in @@color (green): green@@ are liquids ** those in black are solids

    grat.uito.us 2008

  • (ME1²²²), since it allows the subject to discharge her obligation by not meaning green by ˜green™ “ something that does seem to be in her power.

    The Normativity of Meaning and Content Glüer, Kathrin 2009

  • Says he, "'Do ye know, Sar Chawls, is the hoshun reely green at the line -- _green_ ye know, Sar Chawls, _reely_ green?'

    The International Monthly Magazine, Volume 1, No. 1, August 1850 of Literature, Science and Art. Various

  • Public officials and media commentators have used the term "green shoots" in recent months to suggest that small signs of improvement may signal our economic firestorm has finally burned itself out.

    Let's Hope China Forecloses On U.S. 2009

Comments

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  • "Looks, in her case, were highly deceptive. She was SpecOps all the way from her high heels to the pink-and-yellow scarf tied in her hair.

    She air-kissed me affectionately.

    'How was New Zealand?'

    'Green and full of sheep,' I replied."

    - Jasper Fforde, 'Lost In A Good Book'.

    November 24, 2008