What does "chive" mean?
A perennial plant, Allium schoenoprasum, related to the onion.
Chive
/t͡ʃaɪv/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A perennial plant, Allium schoenoprasum, related to the onion.
- Grammar: chive is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: allium schoenoprasum, chives, cive, cut.
- Usage evidence: What a splendid pie, pizza-pizza pie / Every minute, every second, buy, buy, buy, buy, buy / Pepperoni and green peppers, mushrooms, olive, chives
How to use "chive"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "chive" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "chive" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "chive" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "chive" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "chive" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "allium schoenoprasum" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "chive", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A perennial plant, Allium schoenoprasum, related to the onion.
- 2 A piece cut off; sliver.
- 3 A knife.
"For when that he hath nubbed as, / And our friends tip him no cole, / He takes his chive and cuts us down, / And tips us into a hole."
- 4 perennial having hollow cylindrical leaves used for seasoning wordnet
- 5 The leaves of this plant used as a herb. attributive, in-plural
"Chive herb. (attributive use)"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 The filament which supports the anther of a flower; stamen, especially of saffron. obsolete
"1577, Raphael Holinshed et al., The Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Ireland, London: John Hunne, Book 3, Chapter 14, “Of English Saffron,” […] in the place wher he bled, Saffron was after found to grow, whereupon the people séeyng the color of the chiue as it stoode, (although I doubt not but it grewe there long before) adiudged it to come to the bloude of Crocus, and therefore they gaue it his name."
- 7 A file.
- 8 The spring onion; the green onion; the scallion. Trinidad-and-Tobago, dialectal
- 9 A saw.
Verb
- 1 To stab.
"Adieu to Haul-Cly, adieu to stopping Coaches, and adieu to all the hurry-scurry of Foot-Scampering, filing, chiving, milling, and sneaking[…]"
- 2 To cut.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"What a splendid pie, pizza-pizza pie / Every minute, every second, buy, buy, buy, buy, buy / Pepperoni and green peppers, mushrooms, olive, chives"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "chive"?
Common synonyms include: allium schoenoprasum, chives, cive, cut, garden chives, schnittlaugh.
How do you use "chive" in a sentence?
What a splendid pie, pizza-pizza pie / Every minute, every second, buy, buy, buy, buy, buy / Pepperoni and green peppers, mushrooms, olive, chives
How do you pronounce "chive"?
Pronounced /t͡ʃaɪv/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English chive~cyve, from Old French chive~cive, from Latin cēpa (“onion”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English chive, chyve, variant of chith, chyth, from Old English ċīþ (“shoot, scion, sprout”). Doublet of chit and scion.
Etymology 3
From Romani chive, chiv, chivvomengro (“knife, dagger, blade”).