green

1 of 3

adjective

1
: of the color green
2
a
: covered by green growth or foliage
green fields
b
: consisting of green plants and usually edible herbage
a green salad
c
of winter : mild, clement
3
a
: envious sense 1
used especially in the phrase green with envy
b
: marked by a pale, sickly, or nauseated appearance
4
: not ripened or matured
green peaches
5
a
: deficient in training, knowledge, or experience
green recruits
b
: deficient in sophistication and savoir faire : naive
was green and credulous
c
: not fully qualified for or experienced in a particular function
6
7
: fresh, new
8
a
often capitalized : relating to or being an environmentalist political movement
b
: concerned with or supporting environmentalism
green consumers who practice recycling
c
: tending to preserve environmental quality (as by being recyclable, biodegradable, or nonpolluting)
greener energy solutions
9
: pleasantly alluring
10
a
: not fully processed or treated: such as
(1)
: freshly sawed
green lumber
(2)
: not aged
green liquor
(3)
: not dressed or tanned
green hides
b
: not in condition for a particular use
greenish adjective
greenishness noun
greenly adverb
greenness noun

green

2 of 3

noun

plural greens
1
: a color whose hue is somewhat less yellow than that of growing fresh grass or of the emerald or is that of the part of the spectrum lying between blue and yellow
2
: something of a green color
3
: green vegetation: such as
a greens plural
(1)
: leafy herbs (such as spinach, dandelions, or Swiss chard) that are cooked as a vegetable
b
greens plural : leafy parts of plants for use as decoration
4
: an area consisting of or resembling grass: such as
a
: a usually grassy park or common in the center of a town or village
Mashpee, Massachusetts has a new town green, complete with bandstand.Alan D. Haas
5
informal : money
especially : U.S. paper money : greenbacks
6
or Green : environmentalist
especially : a member of an activist political party focusing on environmental and social issues
7
physics : one of the three colors (see color entry 1 sense 15) that quarks have in the theory of quantum chromodynamics
Whereas there is just one kind of electric charge, however, there are three kinds of color charge, usually called red, blue and green. (The names, of course, have nothing to do with colors in the everyday sense.)Elliott D. Bloom and Gary J. Feldman
greeny adjective

green

3 of 3

verb

greened; greening; greens

intransitive verb

: to become green
Phrases
green around the gills
: pale or sickly in appearance

Examples of green in a Sentence

Adjective fields green with meadow grass a new pitcher who's pretty green, even by rookie standards Noun a mixture of blues and greens The town green was the center of activity. It took him four shots to get to the green.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Wang’s use of green spills over to the primary bedroom, where a green suede headboard stands tall between two bedside tables. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2024 In the photo, Hall shows off a green pasture, fall foliage, a long wooden fence and an American flag hanging in front of him, as the sun rises in the distance. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up 0.38% in opening trade, with all major bourses and most sectors in the green. Karen Gilchrist,holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 29 Oct. 2024 Low clouds lace across the surrounding mountains, which have begun their descent into rust from the deep greens of summer. Will Carless, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024
Verb
One of her pointer fingers was a collision of color, with fuschia, baby blue, and army green all mingling in a glorious combination. Kara Nesvig, Allure, 22 Oct. 2024 Satellite imagery used The new research used satellite images to determine that a greening trend across the Antarctic Peninsula is occuring and increasing. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for green 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'green.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Noun, and Verb

Middle English grene, from Old English grēne; akin to Old English grōwan to grow

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of green was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near green

Cite this Entry

“Green.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/green. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

green

1 of 2 adjective
1
: of the color green
2
a
: covered by green leaves or herbs
b
: consisting of green plants or of the leafy part of a plant
a green salad
3
: not fully grown or ripe
4
a
: marked by a sickly appearance
b
: envious
used especially in the phrase green with envy
5
: lacking training, knowledge, or experience
green troops
6
a
: concerned with or supporting environmentalism
b
: tending to preserve the quality of the environment
green dish soap
greenish adjective
greenly
ˈgrēn-lē
adverb
greenness noun

green

2 of 2 noun
1
: a color (as that of fresh grass) that ranges between blue and yellow
2
a
: green vegetation
b
plural : leafy parts of plants used for some purpose (as ornament or food)
3
: a grassy plain or plot
especially : a smooth grassy area at the end of a golf fairway containing the hole
4
5
often capitalized : environmentalist
especially : a member of a political party focusing on environmental and social issues
greeny
ˈgrē-nē
adjective

Medical Definition

green

1 of 2 adjective
1
: of the color green
2
of a wound : being recently incurred and unhealed
3
: marked by a pale, sickly, or nauseated appearance
4
of hemolytic streptococci : tending to produce green pigment when cultured on blood media

green

2 of 2 noun
1
: a color whose hue is somewhat less yellow than that of growing fresh grass or of the emerald or is that of the part of the spectrum lying between blue and yellow
2
: a pigment or dye that colors green see janus green

Geographical Definition

Green

geographical name

1
river 730 miles (1175 kilometers) long in the western U.S. flowing from the Wind River Range in western Wyoming south into the Colorado River in southeastern Utah
2
city in northeastern Ohio south of Akron population 22,817

Biographical Definition

Green 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Julien or Julian 1900–1998 French novelist

Green

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

William 1873–1952 American labor leader

More from Merriam-Webster on green

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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