Ivy Meaning
/ˈaɪvi/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounAny of several woody, climbing, or trailing evergreen plants of the genus Hedera.
nounAny similar plant of any genus.
Sentence Examples
The side of the house was covered with ivy.
I got a rash from poison ivy.
The front of the building was covered with ivy.
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the spring, the old stone wall was completely covered in green ____, which naturally climbed up.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The old brick house was covered in green ____, which grew all the way up to the second floor.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English ivi, from Old English īfiġ, from Proto-West Germanic *ibig, *ibag, *ibah, from Proto-Germanic *ibahs (compare West Flemish iefte, Low German Eiloov, Ieloof, German Efeu), from Proto-Indo-European *(h₁)ebʰ- (compare Welsh efwr (“black elder”), Ancient Greek ἴφυον (íphuon, “spike-lavender, Lavandula Spica”)).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Hidden timber elements, lintels and roof tiles have also been replaced, in addition to gaining a new paint job and guttering drainage, and the removal of ivy that was damaging the exterior."
— 2023 March 8, “Network News: Pwllheli 'box gets a makeover”, in RAIL, number 978, page 22:
"Kind people apply all the milder words to your face; only Father ever called it ugly. Ugly Ivy mingy as her name. Father himself was handsome and drunken. Mother had wanted 'Ivy' simple and yet pretty and for once stuck to her guns. You wished she hadn't."
— 1974, Patrick White, The Cockatoos: Shorter Novels and Stories., Cape, →ISBN, page 204:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the spring, the old stone wall was completely covered in green ____, which naturally climbed up.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The old brick house was covered in green ____, which grew all the way up to the second floor.