evergreen means of plants, especially trees, that do not shed their leaves seasonally.
evergreen is pronounced /ˈɛvəɡɹiːn/.
Why “evergreen” is a great word
Retaining green foliage throughout the year, and by extension, remaining perpetually fresh, relevant, or self-renewing. From ever (always, continually) + green (the color of living foliage), first recorded in the adjectival sense in the 1660s. Unlike "deciduous" (which submits to the seasonal ebb) or "ephemeral" (which blossoms and dies in a breath), evergreen is the refusal to go dormant. It is the dark pine persisting through February's iron grip, the song strangers still hum decades after its release, and the mythic promise of a story that never loses its sap. The world keeps calendars; the evergreen keeps its color.
Etymology
From ever + green.
adj
- Of plants, especially trees, that do not shed their leaves seasonally.“Near-synonym: nondeciduous”
- Continually fresh or self-renewing.; Being a clause which causes an automatic renewal of a contract unless action is taken.
- Continually fresh or self-renewing.; Of a document, a piece of software, or a data set: kept continually up to date (as opposed to being published at regular intervals and outdated in the meantime)“Chrome and Firefox are evergreen browsers: they update automatically and version numbers are only used for internal reference.”
- Suitable for transmission at any time; not urgent or time-dependent.“Another change in the news was emphasis on “evergreen” features involving attractive children or animals, parades or fireworks, as well as local developments.”
name
- A rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia.
- A neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- A neighbourhood of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
- A neighbourhood of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
- A city, the county seat of Conecuh County, Alabama, United States.
- An unincorporated community in Autauga County, Alabama, United States.
- A ghost town in Los Angeles County, California, United States.
- A neighborhood and district of San Jose, California, United States.
- A census-designated place in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States.
- An unincorporated community in Nassau County, Florida, United States.
- A town in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States.
- A neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland, United States.
- A village in Laclede County, Missouri, United States.
- An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Flathead County, Montana, United States.
- An unincorporated community and census-designated place in Tatums Township, Columbus County, North Carolina, United States.
noun
- A shrub or tree that does not shed its leaves or needles seasonally.“The lawn before them was gay with evergreens, relieved by the first few flowers and fresh turf of the reviving Spring; […]”
- A conifer tree.“The spruce and fir trees crowded to the track on each side to welcome us, the arbor- vitae, with its changing leaves, prompted us to make haste, and the sight of the canoe-birch gave us spirits to do so. Sometimes an evergreen just fallen lay across the track with its rich burden of cones, looking, still, fuller of life than our trees in the most favorable positions.”
- A news story that can be published or broadcast at any time.
verb
- To extend the term of a patent beyond the normal legal limit, usually through repeated small modifications.
- To set the repayment rate of a loan at or below the interest rate, so low that the principal will never be repaid.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.