evergreen

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Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

ever + green

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Adjective

evergreen (not comparable)

Positive
evergreen

Comparative
not comparable

Superlative
none (absolute)

  1. Of plants, especially trees, that do not shed their leaves seasonally.
    • 1902: Henry Van Dyke, The Blue Flower [1]
      ...these three little creeping vines put forth their hands with joy, and spread over rock and hillock and twisted tree-root and mouldering log, in cloaks and scarves and wreaths of tiny evergreen, glossy leaves.
  2. Continually fresh or self-renewing; often used metaphorically.
  3. (broadcasting) Suitable for transmission at any time; not urgent or time-dependent.
    • 2001, Christopher H Sterling, John M Kittross, Stay Tuned (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates 2001, p. 654)
      Another change in the news was emphasis on “evergreen” features involving attractive children or animals, parades or fireworks, as well as local developments.

[edit] Antonyms

  • (of plants, that do not shed their leaves): deciduous

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Noun

Singular
evergreen

Plural
evergreens

evergreen (plural evergreens)

  1. A tree or shrub that does not shed its leaves or needles seasonally.
  2. (informal) More specifically, a conifer tree.
    • 1858: Henry David Thoreau, The Maine Woods [2]
      The spruce and fir trees crowded to the track on each side to welcome us, the arbor- vitae, with its changing leaves, prompted us to make haste, and the sight of the canoe-birch gave us spirits to do so. Sometimes an evergreen just fallen lay across the track with its rich burden of cones, looking, still, fuller of life than our trees in the most favorable positions.
    • 1958: Chuck Berry, Johnny B. Goode
      Deep down in Louisiana, close to New Orleans,
      Way back up in the woods among the evergreens,
      There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
      Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode
  3. (colloquial) A television news story that can be shown at any time there is available space as it is not time-sensitive.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to evergreen

Third person singular
evergreens

Simple past
evergreened

Past participle
evergreened

Present participle
evergreening

to evergreen (third-person singular simple present evergreens, present participle evergreening, simple past and past participle evergreened)

  1. (patents, pharmaceuticals) To extend the term of a patent beyond the normal legal limit, usually through repeated small modifications.
  2. (banking) To set the repayment rate of a loan at or below the interest rate, so low that the principal will never be repaid.

[edit] See also


[edit] Finnish

[edit] Noun

evergreen

  1. classic song, evergreen song, song that is ever popular

[edit] Declension


[edit] Swedish

[edit] Noun

Inflection for evergreen Singular Plural
common Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative evergreen evergreenen evergreener evergreenerna
Genitive evergreens evergreenens evergreeners evergreenernas

evergreen c.

  1. classic song, evergreen song, song that is ever popular
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