olive
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an/the olive branch
A symbol, expression, or gesture of peace, reconciliation, truce, etc. Used most commonly in the phrase "hold out/offer (someone) an/the olive branch." The conservatives in Congress seem to be offering the olive branch to Democrats on the issue of raising the debt ceiling. If you find yourself in a spat with a friend, try to be the bigger person and be the one to hold out the olive branch.
hold out an olive branch (to someone)
To extend an offer or gesture of peace, reconciliation, truce, etc. (to someone), so as to end a disagreement or dispute. The conservatives in Congress seem to be holding out an olive branch to Democrats on the issue of raising the debt ceiling. If you find yourself in a spat with a friend, try to be the bigger person and be the one to hold out an olive branch.
hold out an/the olive branch
To extend an offer or gesture of peace, reconciliation, truce, etc., so as to end a disagreement or dispute. If you find yourself in a spat with a friend, try to be the bigger person and be the one to hold out the olive branch. I was still hurt by the way my parents had lied to me, but I decided to hold out an olive branch by going home for Christmas.
hold out the olive branch (to someone)
To extend an offer or gesture of peace, reconciliation, truce, etc. (to someone), so as to end a disagreement or dispute. The conservatives in Congress seem to be holding out the olive branch to Democrats on the issue of raising the debt ceiling. If you find yourself in a spat with a friend, try to be the bigger person and be the one to hold out the olive branch.
offer an olive branch (to someone)
To extend an offer or gesture of peace, reconciliation, truce, etc. (to someone), so as to end a disagreement or dispute. (Can also be formulated as "offer someone an olive branch.") The conservatives in Congress seem to be offering an olive branch to Democrats on the issue of raising the debt ceiling. If you find yourself in a spat with a friend, try to be the bigger person and be the one to offer an olive branch. I was still hurt by the way my parents had lied to me, but I decided to offer them an olive branch at Christmas.
offer the olive branch (to someone)
To extend an offer or gesture of peace, reconciliation, truce, etc. (to someone), so as to end a disagreement or dispute. (Can also be formulated as "offer someone the olive branch.") The conservatives in Congress seem to be offering the olive branch to Democrats on the issue of raising the debt ceiling. If you find yourself in a spat with a friend, try to be the bigger person and be the one to offer the olive branch. I was still hurt by the way my parents had lied to me, but I decided to offer them the olive branch at Christmas.
olive juice
A humorous alternative to the words "I love you," due to the similar movements the lips create when spoken. My girlfriend and I decided we both weren't ready for the L word yet, so we started saying "olive juice" to each other as a kind of code word of infatuation. A: "Goodnight, sweetie. Olive juice!" B: "Olive juice, too, Mommy!"
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
hold out the olive branch
Fig. to offer to end a dispute and be friendly; to offer reconciliation. (The olive branch is a symbol of peace and reconciliation. A biblical reference.) Jill was the first to hold out the olive branch after our argument. I always try to hold out the olive branch to someone I have offended. Life is too short for a person to bear grudges for very long.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
hold out an olive branch
oroffer an olive branch
COMMON If you hold out an olive branch or offer an olive branch to someone, you say or do something to show that you want to end a disagreement with them. We are holding out an olive branch, inviting the landowners to talk to us. The authorities have offered an olive branch to the community. Note: You can say that someone accepts an olive branch if they accept the thing that has been said or done to end the disagreement. It would be some time before he would accept the olive branch offered to him. Note: You can use olive branch to mean an offer of peace or friendship. I think the olive branch will have to come from both sides. He invited the world to choose between the gun and the olive branch. Note: The story of the Flood in the Bible tells how Noah sent out first a raven, then a dove, to see if there was any sign of land. If they found some land, it would mean that God had forgiven man: `And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.' (Genesis 8:11)
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
hold out (or offer) an olive branch
offer a token of peace or goodwill.A branch of an olive tree is an emblem of peace. In the Bible, it was the token brought by a dove to Noah to indicate that God's anger was assuaged and that the flood had abated (Genesis 8:11).
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
hold out/offer an ˈolive branch (to somebody)
show that you want to make peace with somebody: After their argument, he was the first one to hold out an olive branch. OPPOSITE: throw down the gauntletThe olive branch is an ancient symbol of peace.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017