Wiktionary

agave

See also: Agave, agáve, and agavé

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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'Agave' attenuata is typical of large 'Agave' species with candelabra-like inflorescences

Etymology

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Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek Ἀγαυή (Agauḗ, “Agave”), from ἀγαυός (agauós, “noble, illustrious”).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /əˈɡɑː.vi/, /əˈɡɑːveɪ/, /əˈɡeɪviː/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪvi

Noun

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agave (plural agaves)

  1. Any plant in the large, variable genus Agave of succulent plants, commonly armed with formidable prickles, flowering at maturity after several years, and generally dying thereafter; large species, such as the maguey or century plant, (Agave americana), produce gigantic inflorescences. Several are of economic importance as sources of fibre such as sisal, and alcoholic beverages such as tequila.
    Synonym: century plant
    • 1895, J[ohn] W[esley] Powell, chapter I, in Canyons of the Colorado, Meadville, PA: Flood & Vincent; republished as The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, New York: Dover, 1961, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 22:
      On the mountains a few junipers and piñons are found, and cactuses, agave, and yuccas, low, fleshy plants with bayonets and thorns.
    • 1893 Charles Richards Dodge, A Report on the Leaf Fibers of the United States. Pub: Govt. print. office Washington
      The work of cutting the leaves, even from these isolated plants, was in the nature of an ordeal. Every member of the party took a knife and attacked the thicket, no one escaping the experience of bleeding hands and arms and of more or less injured clothing. If there is any place where strong language is halfway excusable it is in a thicket of 'Agave' decipiens.
    • 1998, Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Talents, HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP (2019), pages 25–26:
      It was one of the large, vicious varieties of agave, each individual plant an upturned rosette of stiff, fibrous, fleshy leaves, some of them over a meter long on the big parent plants.

Usage notes

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Commonly confused with the unrelated genus Aloe, even referred to as "American Aloe".

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Danish

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Etymology

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From New Latin Agave, from Ancient Greek Ἀγαυή (Agauḗ), name of one of the daughters of Cadmus, from ἀγαυός (agauós, “noble, illustrious”).

Noun

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agave c (singular definite agaven, plural indefinite agaver)

  1. agave

Declension

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Declension of agave
common
gender 		singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative agave agaven agaver agaverne
genitive agaves agavens agavers agavernes

Further reading

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French

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Etymology

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From New Latin Agave, from Ancient Greek Ἀγαυή (Agauḗ), name of one of the daughters of Cadmus, from ἀγαυός (agauós, “noble, illustrious”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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agave m (plural agaves)

  1. agave

Further reading

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Italian

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Etymology

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From New Latin Agave, from Ancient Greek Ἀγαυή (Agauḗ), name of one of the daughters of Cadmus, from ἀγαυός (agauós, “noble, illustrious”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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agave f (plural agavi)

  1. agave

Portuguese

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Portuguese Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pt
 
agave

Etymology

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    Learned borrowing from taxonomic name Agave, from Ancient Greek Ἀγαυή (Agauḗ), name of one of the daughters of Cadmus, from ἀγαυός (agauós, “noble, illustrious”).

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    agave f (plural agaves)

    1. agave (plant of the genus Agave)
    2. (strictly) American aloe (Agave americana)
      Synonyms: agávea, babosa-brava, pau-pita, piteira

    Derived terms

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    Further reading

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    Spanish

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    Spanish Wikipedia has an article on:
    Wikipedia es

    Etymology

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    Borrowed from translingual Agave, from Ancient Greek Ἀγαυή (Agauḗ), name of one of the daughters of Cadmus, from ἀγαυός (agauós, “noble, illustrious”).

    Pronunciation

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    Noun

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    agave m (plural agaves)

    1. agave
      Synonym: pita

    Derived terms

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    See also

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    Further reading

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