agave

noun

aga·​ve ə-ˈgä-vē 

: any of a genus (Agave of the family Asparagaceae, the asparagus family) of plants having spiny-margined leaves and flowers in tall spreading panicles and including some cultivated for their fiber or sap or for ornament

Illustration of agave

Examples of agave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Notes of roasted agave are softened by hints of citrus, white peach, and candied pine. —Richard Carleton Hacker, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2025

Warm, boozy, but still smooth with lots of agave and some subtle citrus notes on the finish. —Erik Ofgang, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

The True Colors is made of fresh pressed cucumber, lime, agave and club soda, while the Lush Lofi consists of mango, almond orgeat syrup, fresh lime and pineapple. —Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2025

It’s made with Lyre’s Agave Blanco and Lyre’s Orange Sec, plus fresh citrus notes from lime and orange, with a dash of agave. —Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, borrowed from Greek agauḗ, feminine of agauós "admirable, illustrious, brilliant," of uncertain origin

Note: First distinguished as a genus separate from aloe by Linnaeus in Hortus Upsaliensis v. 1 (Stockholm, 1748), p. 87-88: "The African and Asian [species of aloe], naturally of pharmacological use and known for a longer time, would retain their everyday pharmacological name; another name should be conferred on these [species of Agave], and since among the synonyms nothing worthy presents itself, and an ancient name may be applied to an ancient genus, thereby I have called it Agave as it is an admirable plant" ("Africanae & Asiaticae utpote officinales, diutius notae retineant nomen officinale & usitatissimum; aliud his imponatur, inter synonyma nullum dignum occur[r]it, licet antiquo generi antiquum nomen competeret, ideoque dixi Agave quasi plantam admirabilem."). The non-Latinization of final eta may have been motivated by the various mythological personages named Agave in Latin versions of Greek tales. The etymology of Greek agauós is uncertain; a connection with agánai/ágamai, "wonder at, admire," is plausible semantically, but the internal upsilon seems justified neither by the root nor by ordinary derivation.

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing agave

• blue agave

Kids Definition

agave

noun

aga·​ve ə-ˈgäv-ē 

: any of a genus of plants (as the century plant) that have spiny-edged leaves and flowers in tall branched clusters and include some cultivated for fiber or for ornament

Medical Definition

agave

noun

aga·​ve ə-ˈgäv-ē 

1

capitalized : a genus of plants (family Agavaceae) that are native to tropical America and to the southwestern United States, have spiny-margined leaves in basal rosettes and tall spikes of flowers, and include some that are cultivated for their fiber or sap or for ornament

2

: a plant (as the century plant) of the genus Agave