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# ivy

«ivy» in Mova's school dictionary: **An evergreen climbing plant with dark shiny leaves that…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (ivy, ivies; uncountable for the plant in general); also a name (Ivy)

### meaning for a pupil

1) An evergreen climbing plant with dark shiny leaves that grows up walls and trees. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#m1)

2) (poison ivy, North America) A different plant whose leaves give an itchy rash. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#m2)

3) (Ivy League, USA) A group of old famous universities. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#m3)

4) (a name) Ivy is a girl's name. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#m4)

### sense in the lessons

In science lessons: ivy is a climber; its berries are food for birds in winter but poisonous to people. At Christmas, «The Holly and the Ivy» carol. In stories old houses are «covered in ivy». Phrases: «ivy-covered walls», «poison ivy», «Ivy League».

### examples

- Ivy climbed all over the old castle wall. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#x1)
- Birds eat ivy berries in winter. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#x2)
- Don't eat ivy berries; they are poisonous to people. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#x3)
- We sang «The Holly and the Ivy» at the Christmas concert. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#x4)
- In Canada we learn: leaves of three, let it be — that's poison ivy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#x5)
- The Badger's house had an ivy-covered entrance. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#x6)
- My great-gran was called Ivy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/#x7)

### note

Poison ivy (North America) is not a true ivy. Ivy does not usually kill healthy trees, a common myth; it uses them for support. Plural «ivies» is rare (kinds of ivy).

### In the corpora

- [Never burn poison ivy, because the smoke carries its oil into the lungs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/237-plants-that-sting-and-poison/13/)
- [A boy in Ohio burned poison ivy with garden rubbish; he breathed in the smoke and his throat and lungs were badly hurt.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/237-plants-that-sting-and-poison/22/)
- [Burning poison ivy or oak sends the oil into the smoke, which can hurt your lungs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/237-plants-that-sting-and-poison/25/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «ivy» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/ivy/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.