: a common evergreen bushy shrub (Myrtus communis of the family Myrtaceae, the myrtle family) of southern Europe with oval to lance-shaped shiny leaves, fragrant white or rosy flowers, and black berries
b
: any of the chiefly tropical shrubs or trees comprising the myrtle family
Recent Examples on the WebOn the perimeter, an impressive collection of citrus, stone fruit, avocados, pomegranate, passion fruit, apples, figs, and quince is mixed with culinary herbs, such as sweet culinary bay, myrtle, and rosemary, creating a lush oasis that is bountiful year-round.—Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024 Dilawar Mondal gently bends the stems of a centuries-old myrtle plant to examine its aromatic leaves, used in the Jewish ritual bath for the dead.—Sarah Aziz, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Jan. 2024 Dingle uses, amongst other botanicals, rowan berry from the mountain ash trees, fuchsia, bog myrtle, hawthorn and heather for a taste of the Irish landscape.—Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 For example, myrtle spurge, a succulent that sprouts yellow and white flowers, is an invasive species that the Salt Lake County Health Department considers a noxious weed.—Paige Ney, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Aug. 2023 Still, Sukkot is a joyous occasion, one that is centered on four plant species: the myrtle, willow, citron and date palm, whose frond is known as the lulav.—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2023 Plants in the garden have Greek origins or symbolism, including myrtle, sage and Cyprus trees.—Zachary Smith, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023 For dessert: a panna cotta of lemon myrtle and sunrise lime, an oval fruit that tasted a bit like a kumquat.—Veronica M. Stoddart, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2023 The Four Species of Sukkot The lulav (date palm frond), etrog (citron fruit), hadass (myrtle), and aravah (willow) are four plants mentioned in the Torah, known collectively as the four species.—Jamie Kravitz, Woman's Day, 24 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'myrtle.' 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
Middle English mirtille, from Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin myrtillus, from Latin myrtus, from Greek myrtos
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