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ivy

/ˈaɪvi/
/ˈaɪvi/
IPA guide

Other forms: ivies

Ivy is a plant that climbs fences and trellises, or creeps along the ground as it grows. Most ivy has dark, shiny leaves with five points.

There are many types of ivy, from English ivy (which you can also grow indoors), to the true ivy's close relative, poison ivy, which is famously irritating, causing a terrible, itchy rash. Ivies are evergreen, which means they keep their green leaves in the winter. The so-called "Ivy League" is a group of eight selective colleges (including Harvard and Princeton), given this name for the ivy that creeps up many of the campuses' old brick buildings.

Definitions of ivy
  1. noun
    Old World vine with lobed evergreen leaves and black berrylike fruits
    see moresee less
    type of:
    vine
    a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
Pronunciation
US
/ˈaɪvi/
UK
/ˈaɪvi/
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