agave

noun

aga·​ve ə-ˈgä-vē How to pronounce agave (audio)
: any of a genus (Agave of the family Agavaceae, the agave family) of plants having spiny-margined leaves and flowers in tall spreading panicles and including some cultivated for their fiber or sap or for ornament

Illustration of agave

Illustration of agave

Examples of agave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Vasquez said he was frustrated by the lack of awareness among large mezcal production companies moving into Oaxaca that benefit from the sprawling agave fields but have yet to support the communities affected by fire. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 A little bit of a sugary ingredient like pomegranate molasses, honey, agave, or maple syrup will make your dressing perfectly balanced rather than overly acidic. Audrey Bruno, SELF, 15 Mar. 2024 Fried chicken wings are drenched in a sweet-spicy, caramelized fish sauce glaze and cocktails wink at the tropics of Vietnam with spirits made from sugar cane and agave, like rums and tequilas, blended with tropical fruits, such as hibiscus, pineapple and tamarind. Detroit Free Press, 10 Mar. 2024 The pair was seen speeding off on their own motorcycles in an agave field — while not wearing any pants. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 6 Mar. 2024 Made from 71 percent agave and 29 percent piloncillo, a high-quality, unrefined sugarcane, El Tequileño’s blanco had been Don Javier’s tequila of choice when making Batangas, Orphene says. Jeanette Hurt, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 It‘s made with tequila, guava, serrano pepper, agave and fresh lime juice. Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024 To be officially designated as tequila, the beverage must be distilled from agave grown in certain regions of Mexico. Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2024 Smoke on the Water At SALT at Hilton Pensacola Beach, this smokey and sweet treat is made with 400 Conejos Mezcal, watermelon puree, agave, and fresh citrus. Aly Walansky, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024

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

borrowed from New Latin, borrowed from Greek agauḗ, feminine of agauós "admirable, illustrious, brilliant," of uncertain origin

Note: First distinguished as a genus separate from aloe by Linnaeus in Hortus Upsaliensis v. 1 (Stockholm, 1748), p. 87-88: "The African and Asian [species of aloe], naturally of pharmacological use and known for a longer time, would retain their everyday pharmacological name; another name should be conferred on these [species of Agave], and since among the synonyms nothing worthy presents itself, and an ancient name may be applied to an ancient genus, thereby I have called it Agave as it is an admirable plant" ("Africanae & Asiaticae utpote officinales, diutius notae retineant nomen officinale & usitatissimum; aliud his imponatur, inter synonyma nullum dignum occur[r]it, licet antiquo generi antiquum nomen competeret, ideoque dixi Agave quasi plantam admirabilem."). The non-Latinization of final eta may have been motivated by the various mythological personages named Agave in Latin versions of Greek tales. The etymology of Greek agauós is uncertain; a connection with agánai/ágamai, "wonder at, admire," is plausible semantically, but the internal upsilon seems justified neither by the root nor by ordinary derivation.

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of agave was in 1760

Dictionary Entries Near agave

Cite this Entry

“Agave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agave. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

agave

noun
aga·​ve ə-ˈgäv-ē How to pronounce agave (audio)
: any of a genus of plants (as the century plant) that have spiny-edged leaves and flowers in tall branched clusters and include some cultivated for fiber or for ornament

Medical Definition

agave

noun
aga·​ve ə-ˈgäv-ē How to pronounce agave (audio)
1
capitalized : a genus of plants (family Agavaceae) that are native to tropical America and to the southwestern United States, have spiny-margined leaves in basal rosettes and tall spikes of flowers, and include some that are cultivated for their fiber or sap or for ornament
2
: a plant (as the century plant) of the genus Agave
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!