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evergreen

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Evergreen

English

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Etymology

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From ever +‎ green.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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evergreen (not comparable)

  1. Of plants, especially trees, that do not shed their leaves seasonally.
    Synonyms: sempervirent, (obsolete) still-green
    Antonym: deciduous
    • 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. (often figuratively) Continually fresh or self-renewing.
    1. (contracts) Being a clause which causes an automatic renewal of a contract unless action is taken.
    2. (computing) Of a document, a piece of software, or a data set: kept continually up to date (as opposed to being published at regular intervals and outdated in the meantime)
      • 2014, Peter Gasston, Book of CSS3, 2nd Edition: A Developer's Guide to the Future of Web Design, No Starch Press, →ISBN, page 257:
        Chrome and Firefox are evergreen browsers: they update automatically and version numbers are only used for internal reference.
  3. (broadcasting) Suitable for transmission at any time; not urgent or time-dependent.
    Synonym: timeless
    • 2001, Christopher H Sterling, John M Kittross, Stay Tuned, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, page 654:
      Another change in the news was emphasis on “evergreen” features involving attractive children or animals, parades or fireworks, as well as local developments.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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evergreen (plural evergreens)

  1. A shrub or tree that does not shed its leaves or needles seasonally.
    • 1838, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter I, in Alice or The Mysteries [], volume I, London: Saunders and Otley, [], →OCLC, book I, page 3:
      The lawn before them was gay with evergreens, relieved by the first few flowers and fresh turf of the reviving Spring; []
    • 1912, Thomas Hardy, “An Imaginative Woman”, in Life’s Little Ironies [], New York, N.Y., London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, →OCLC, page 5:
      Husband and wife walked till they had reached the house they were in search of, which stood in a terrace facing the sea, and was fronted by a small garden of wind-proof and salt-proof evergreens, stone steps leading up to the porch.
  2. (specifically, informal) 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 March 31, Chuck Berry (lyrics and music), “Johnny B. Goode”, performed by Chuck Berry:
      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. (mass media, informal) A news story that can be published or broadcast at any time.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Danish: evergreen
  • Finnish: evergreen
  • Italian: evergreen
  • Swedish: evergreen

Translations

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Verb

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

  1. (patent law, 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.

Further reading

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Finnish

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Etymology

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From English evergreen.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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evergreen

  1. (anglicism) evergreen (evergreen song, song that is ever popular)

Declension

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Inflection of evergreen (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative evergreen evergreenit
genitive evergreenin evergreenien
partitive evergreeniä evergreenejä
illative evergreeniin evergreeneihin
singular plural
nominative evergreen evergreenit
accusative nom. evergreen evergreenit
gen. evergreenin
genitive evergreenin evergreenien
partitive evergreeniä evergreenejä
inessive evergreenissä evergreeneissä
elative evergreenistä evergreeneistä
illative evergreeniin evergreeneihin
adessive evergreenillä evergreeneillä
ablative evergreeniltä evergreeneiltä
allative evergreenille evergreeneille
essive evergreeninä evergreeneinä
translative evergreeniksi evergreeneiksi
abessive evergreenittä evergreeneittä
instructive evergreenein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of evergreen (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

Synonyms

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Further reading

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Italian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English evergreen.

Adjective

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evergreen (invariable)

  1. evergreen (always in style)

Noun

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evergreen m (invariable)

  1. a song or singer that is always in style
  2. (finance) revolving credit

Further reading

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  • evergreen in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Swedish

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Etymology

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From English evergreen.

Noun

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evergreen c

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

Declension

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Synonyms

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Further reading

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