olive drab

noun

Definition of olive drab

1 : a grayish olive

2a : a wool or cotton fabric of an olive drab color

b : a uniform of this fabric

Examples of olive drab in a Sentence

a shirt in olive drab The soldiers were dressed in olive drab.

Recent Examples on the Web The need for such aerial tank killers was learned the hard way during the Vietnam War when the only combat helicopters then available were little more than civilian models painted olive drab and fitted with a light-caliber machine gun. — Sheldon M. Gallager, Popular Mechanics, "PM Meets the AH-64 Apache: The Helo That Fights Back," 25 Mar. 2021 It’s a full-sized folder with steel liners, olive drab G10 scales and even comes with a molle compatible sheath. — Matt Foster, Outdoor Life, "The Best New EDC Knives of 2021," 24 Feb. 2021 In 1980, fashion designer Oscar de la Renta came up with their iconic look: khaki shirts, olive drab pants. — Tim Prudente, baltimoresun.com, "‘Now it’s out ... America knows.’ Maryland men tell of decades-old child sexual abuse amid Boy Scouts bankruptcy.," 13 Nov. 2020 The load, available in 50-count boxes, features an olive drab green bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1,850 fps. — Field & Stream, "A Better Approach," 2 Oct. 2020 There are prosecutors in suits and ties and soldiers in olive drab camouflage and combat boots. — Carol Rosenberg, New York Times, "Inside America’s War Court: Clothing and Culture at Guantánamo Bay," 27 Dec. 2019 Dozens of Chinese troops, dressed in black shorts and olive drab T-shirts, ran out in loose formation and picked up paving stones, rocks and other obstacles that had cluttered the street. — Washington Post, "Hong Kong police storm university held by protesters," 18 Nov. 2019 The machined aluminum handles are lightweight and anodized olive drab. — Matt Foster, Outdoor Life, "The Best Knives of SHOT Show 2020," 31 Jan. 2020 Dozens of Chinese troops, dressed in black shorts and olive drab T-shirts, ran out in loose formation and picked up paving stones, rocks and other obstacles that had cluttered the street. — Washington Post, "Hong Kong police storm university held by protesters," 18 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'olive drab.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about olive drab

Dictionary Entries near olive drab

olive-backed thrush

olive fruit fly

Statistics for olive drab

Last Updated

31 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Olive drab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/olive%20drab. Accessed 15 May. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for olive drab

olive drab

noun

English Language Learners Definition of olive drab

chiefly US : a grayish-green color also : clothing of this color

See the full definition for olive drab in the English Language Learners Dictionary

Comments on olive drab

What made you want to look up olive drab? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

heinous

Listen to the pronunciation of heinous

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

Choose the best definition or synonym for the word in bold: "There are some eructations that sound like cheers—at least, mine did." Lolita

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Anagram puzzles meet word search.

TAKE THE QUIZ