Definition of "green"

The day was cool and snappy for August, and the Rise all green with a lavish nature. Now we plunged into a deep shade with the boughs lacing each other overhead, and crossed dainty, rustic bridges over the cold trout-streams, the boards giving back the clatter of our horses' feet: […] .

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd.

to look so green and pale

c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene vii]

I might be angry […] with the officious zeal which supposes that its green conceptions can instruct my grey hairs.

1822, [Walter Scott], Peveril of the Peak. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co.

He acted like a green racehorse, plunging over his jumps, tearing to the front of the field of riders.

2008, Richard R. Rust, Renegade Champion: The Unlikely Rise of Fitzrada, page 91

as valid against such an old and beneficent government as against […] the greenest usurpation

1790 November, Edmund Burke, Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. […], London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […]

1952, Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, page 12

As towns continue to grow, replanting vegetation has become a form of urban utopia and green roofs are spreading fast. Last year 1m square metres of plant-covered roofing was built in France, as much as in the US, and 10 times more than in Germany, the pioneer in this field.

2013 May 10, Audrey Garric, “Urban canopies let nature bloom”, in The Guardian Weekly‎, volume 188, number 22, page 30

Oatly said it hoped Blackstone’s investment would inspire other private equity firms “to steer their collective worth of $4 trillion into green investments.”

2021 May 18, Jack Ewing, Lauren Hirsch, “The Big Money Is Going Vegan”, in The New York Times‎

We say the meat is green when half roasted.

1725, Isaac Watts, Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726

Following initial drying of film in a motion picture laboratory (after treatment in a hardening-fixing bath) the gelatin structure of an emulsion contracts and is permanently changed. The hardening action still continues for a time as a further small amount of residual moisture is given up. While traces of excess moisture remain, the emulsion is "green," relatively soft, […]

1947, Theatre Catalog, volume 5, page 570

[…] attaching pre-photographed and pre-printed footage of a focusing chart to daily film footage without taking into consideration that such film may be worn or dried out and therefore, in its plane of best focus, would not be identical to that of the green film of the daily rushes.

1961, American Cinematographer, volume 42, page 618

Today most open access in medicine and biomedicine is gold, but in every other field it's mostly green.

2013 October 21, Peter Suber, “Open access: six myths to put to rest”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎, London: Guardian News & Media, archived from the original on 2023-06-03

In a period of increasing industrialization and the palette of grey, brown, and black that came to dominate the modern city, greens provided a refreshing contrast, seemingly bringing the outdoors in.

2015, Alison Matthews David, Fashion Victims: The Damages of Dress Past and Present, page 81

How have greens sought to map an ecologically and socially sustainable future for society?

2013, Joe Smith, What Do Greens Believe?, page 62

In its most extreme formulation, this vision has devolved into a caricature of Islam as the "Green Peril" (green is the colour of Islam) advancing across the world stage, an image that echoes both the "Red Menace" of Cold War discourse and anti-Asian polemics about the "Yellow Peril".

1999, Roxanne L. Euben, Enemy in the Mirror: Islamic Fundamentalism and the Limits of Modern Rationalism‎, page 6

Some politicians tried to encourage this replacement of the red with a green menace.

2006, Benjamin Soares, Muslim-Christian encounters in Africa‎, page 11

While Bill Clinton struggled during the 1990s to bring order to a chaotic world increasingly wracked by ethnic and religious conflict, critics detected signs that a new "green" threat - radical Islam - was supplanting the earlier "red threat" - international communism - that had kept every president from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan awake at night.

2009, Douglas Little, American Orientalism: The United States and the Middle East since 1945‎, page 317

I gave him my putter earlier this year in Oklahoma City. He was having trouble on the greens and I said, ‘Here, try this.’ He did, and he’s been going great guns ever since.

1964 June 16, Arnold Palmer, quotee, “All Eyes On Lema At U.S. Open This Week”, in The Indianapolis Star, volume 62, number 11, Indianapolis, Ind., page 22

There are eighteen holes but I dare any visitor to find more than, say, twelve fairways and seven or eight greens.

2010, Dan Jenkins, Fairways and Greens, page 233

o'er the smooth enamelled green

1634, John Milton, “Arcades”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646

In that ſoft Seaſon vvhen deſcending Shovvers / Call forth the Greens, and vvake the riſing Flovvers; […]

1715, [Alexander] Pope, The Temple of Fame: A Vision, London: […] Bernard Lintott […], page 7

To the casual cockpit observer, landing-gear operation appears to be one of the most elementary tasks we have to perform. Either the switch is up and the lights are out, or it's down and there are three greens.

1992, “How to Avoid the Most Embarrassing of Pilot Errors”, in Flying Magazine, volume 119, number 6, page 94

You're better of smoking the green instead cause it don't blim-burn and it's better for your head.

2003, “Soap Bar”, in The Manifesto‎, performed by Goldie Looking Chain

They see me, hoes actin like they seen a king / With that mean lean, smokin on that finest Cali green

2005, “Drive Slow”, in Late Registration, performed by Kanye West

Today, actors say off-handedly, 'See you on the green' or 'I'll be in the green room' without giving the expressions much thought. In Shakespeare's day, actors changed behind the stage in the 'tiring house', […]

2016, Bruce Montague, The Book of Shakespearian Useless Information

Great spring before greened all the year.

1728, James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768

Out of that tub had come the day before—Tess felt it with a dreadful sting of remorse - the very white frock upon her back which she had so carelessly greened about the skirt on the damping grass - which had been wrung up and ironed by her mother's own hands.

1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume I, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], phase the first (The Maiden), page 30

O rosetree planted in my grief, / And growing, on her tomb, / Her dust is greening in your leaf, / Her blood is in your bloom.

1885, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “The Ancient Sage”, in Tiresias and Other Poems, London: Macmillan and Co., page 63

by greening slope and singing flood

1886, John Greenleaf Whittier, Flowers in Winter

The newer 39-story, 1.5-million-square-foot tower occupies much of the original Shearson Garden, a larger parklet that briefly greened the construction site to be, and is remembered fondly by nearby Tribecans.

2000, AIA Guide to New York City, page 58

"The SNP like to talk the talk about net zero targets, but they can't walk the walk. We need a fares freeze for everyone if we want to get serious about greening the economy and a public railway run in the public interest."

2023 June 28, Conrad Landin, “Network News: Scottish 4.8% rail fares rise labelled 'bad news'”, in RAIL, number 986, page 18