privet

noun

priv·​et ˈpri-vət How to pronounce privet (audio)
: a Eurasian deciduous shrub (Ligustrum vulgare) of the olive family with semievergreen leaves and small white flowers that is widely used for hedges
broadly : any of various shrubs of the same genus

Examples of privet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For example, dwarf types are lovely for foundation plantings, berms, low borders, or assembled at the foot of taller plants, such as glossy privet (Ligustrum lucidum). Steve Bender, Southern Living, 28 Jan. 2024 Chinese privet Chinese privet, or Ligustrum sinense, is a semi-evergreen shrub native to Europe and Asia, and it can be found in 96% of Georgia counties. Hunter Boyce, ajc, 1 June 2022 Many homeowners think that hedges can only consist of boxwood, privet, or arborvitae, but just about any plant that meets your size and ornamental appeal prescription can be used as a hedge: ornamental grasses, small trees ... Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 9 June 2023 What’s damaging these privet leaves? oregonlive, 25 July 2021 Removing privet can be back-breaking work. Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, 3 Nov. 2020 Rodney and Ben and Max nosing the privet. David Gilbert, The New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2020 After half a century, the prison was abandoned and the land — apart from a police shooting range — was reclaimed by pines and privet, dewberry and muscadine vines. Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2023 Just to the east, a draw etched by Five Mile Creek cuts through the lush property, much of which is thick with nasty invasive privet. Dallas News, 10 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'privet.' 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

origin unknown

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near privet

Cite this Entry

“Privet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/privet. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

privet

noun
priv·​et ˈpriv-ət How to pronounce privet (audio)
: a shrub that is related to the olive, has small white flowers, and is widely used for hedges

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