privet
/ˈpɹɪv.ɪt/ noun, interjection
Forms privets
- noun Any of various shrubs and small trees in the genus Ligustrum.
- interjection (informal) Hello, hi.
Etymology
Unknown origin, but possibly connected to prime.
Borrowed from Russian приве́т (privét, “hello, hi”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun An ornamental European shrub (Ligustrum vulgare), much used in hedges; --called also prim. Egyptian privet. See Lawsonia.
Etymology [Cf. Scot. privie, Prov. E. prim-print, primwort. Prob. for primet, and perh. named from being cut and trimmed. See, Prim, a., and cf. Prime to prune, Prim, n., Prie, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “privet”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details