Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A branch of an olive tree regarded as an emblem of peace.
- noun An offer of peace.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Used other than as an idiom: A
branch of anolive tree. - noun Such a branch offered as an
emblem ofpeace . - noun Any
symbol of peace, orpeace offering to anadversary to showgood will and in thehope of securing peace.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun something offered to an adversary in the hope of obtaining peace
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
With reference to classical myth, where the olivebranch was a symbol of peace and prosperity, merging with Biblical allusion to Genesis 8:11, where a dove returns to Noah's ark as a sign that the Flood is subsiding.
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Examples
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