agave

noun

aga·​ve ə-ˈgä-vē How to pronounce agave (audio)
: any of a genus (Agave of the family Asparagaceae, the asparagus family) of plants having spiny-margined leaves and flowers in tall spreading panicles and including some cultivated for their fiber or sap or for ornament

Illustration of agave

Illustration of agave

Examples of agave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The traditionally Mexican distillate is derived from the agave plant, often using methods that have been honed across generations, with varieties that impart flavors ranging from smoky to earthy and acidic. —Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024 She was tasked with traveling throughout Mexico to learn about the country’s culture, including agave cultivation. —Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2024 Even desert plants are dying in this heat Leila Register / NBC News As climate change makes heat waves more frequent, intense and long-lasting, experts say the severe conditions are testing desert plants known for their resilience, including saguaro cacti and agave. —Josh Feldman, NBC News, 1 Sep. 2024 In particular, the Ghia Paloma made with Ghia N-A aperitif, grapefruit, lime, agave and seltzer has been our most popular N-A order. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for agave 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, borrowed from Greek agauḗ, feminine of agauós "admirable, illustrious, brilliant," of uncertain origin

Note: First distinguished as a genus separate from aloe by Linnaeus in Hortus Upsaliensis v. 1 (Stockholm, 1748), p. 87-88: "The African and Asian [species of aloe], naturally of pharmacological use and known for a longer time, would retain their everyday pharmacological name; another name should be conferred on these [species of Agave], and since among the synonyms nothing worthy presents itself, and an ancient name may be applied to an ancient genus, thereby I have called it Agave as it is an admirable plant" ("Africanae & Asiaticae utpote officinales, diutius notae retineant nomen officinale & usitatissimum; aliud his imponatur, inter synonyma nullum dignum occur[r]it, licet antiquo generi antiquum nomen competeret, ideoque dixi Agave quasi plantam admirabilem."). The non-Latinization of final eta may have been motivated by the various mythological personages named Agave in Latin versions of Greek tales. The etymology of Greek agauós is uncertain; a connection with agánai/ágamai, "wonder at, admire," is plausible semantically, but the internal upsilon seems justified neither by the root nor by ordinary derivation.

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of agave was in 1760

Phrases Containing agave

Dictionary Entries Near agave

Agavaceae

agave

agave cactus

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Agave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agave. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

agave

noun
aga·​ve ə-ˈgäv-ē How to pronounce agave (audio)
: any of a genus of plants (as the century plant) that have spiny-edged leaves and flowers in tall branched clusters and include some cultivated for fiber or for ornament

Medical Definition

agave

noun
aga·​ve ə-ˈgäv-ē How to pronounce agave (audio)
1
capitalized : a genus of plants (family Agavaceae) that are native to tropical America and to the southwestern United States, have spiny-margined leaves in basal rosettes and tall spikes of flowers, and include some that are cultivated for their fiber or sap or for ornament
2
: a plant (as the century plant) of the genus Agave
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...