Oleasters

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Elaeagnus, known for its silvery green leaves and fragrant flowers
2. Often found in temperate regions, they are cultivated for ornamental purposes and as hedges
3. The fruits of these plants, called oleaster berries, are edible and have been used in traditional medicine and culinary applications

Etymology: "Oleasters" is the plural of "oleaster", a word that came into Middle English as "oliaster" or "olyaster", borrowed from Latin "oleaster". The Latin term combines "olea", meaning olive tree, with a suffix that marks something resembling or inferior to the thing named. An oleaster is thus a "wild olive", and the name points to a plant that looks like the olive but is not the cultivated fruit tree itself. The plants so named are typically trees or shrubs in the genus Elaeagnus, often called wild olives, which are not true olives of the genus Olea. Their silvery-leaved foliage and tolerance of harsh conditions explain why they are grown in temperate gardens for ornament and as hedges.