: a widely cultivated ornamental climbing or prostrate or sometimes shrubby chiefly Eurasian vine (Hedera helix) of the ginseng family with evergreen leaves, small yellowish flowers, and black berries
2
: any of several climbing plants (such as Virginia creeper) resembling ivy
Water passed from the soaked ivy to the parched flowers in the pots below.—Grady Chambers, The Atlantic, 21 July 2024 Entering the pool and garden area, the views of Valldemossa are perfectly uninterrupted, and the ambiance is filled with the soft sounds of nature and the trickling flow of an antique fountain embedded in an ivy wall.—Jamie Ditaranto, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2024
Adjective
The actress, who's known for being something of an amateur equestrian, appears to be bending over to give her horse Ivy water through a tiny straw.—Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, 21 June 2017 See all Example Sentences for ivy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ivy.' 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
Noun
Middle English, from Old English īfig; akin to Old High German ebah ivy
Adjective
from the prevalence of ivy-covered buildings on the campuses of older U.S. colleges
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
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