greens
greens — noun
1. Leafy plants such as spinach, kale, lettuce, or cabbage that are cooked or eaten
Leafy plants such as spinach, kale, lettuce, or cabbage that are cooked or eaten raw as part of a meal.
Rafael's mother always tells him to finish his greens before dessert.
eat / finish + greens — typical pattern with food
The farmers' market on Saturday had fresh greens piled high in wooden crates.
fresh greens — common adjective collocation
Élise added bitter greens like arugula and watercress to the warm potato salad.
Doctors say that eating dark leafy greens every day can lower blood pressure.
Haruto washed the greens carefully in cold water before chopping them.
- leafy vegetables
more technical and general, used in nutrition or food science contexts
- salad greens
specifically the raw, tender leaves served cold in salads
- vegetables
broader category covering roots and other parts, not only leaves
文法句型
eat + greens
leafy/dark/mixed + greens
greens + are + adjective
用法筆記
Plural noun with a plural verb: 'the greens are wilted', never 'the greens is'. Common modifiers name the variety or quality: 'leafy greens', 'salad greens', 'mustard greens', 'baby greens'. No singular form exists with this meaning — one leaf is 'a leaf', not 'a green'.
常見錯誤
2. Branches and leaves cut from evergreen plants such as pine, holly, or fir, used
Branches and leaves cut from evergreen plants such as pine, holly, or fir, used to decorate a home, church, or shop at Christmas or other festive seasons.
Beatrix wove ribbons through the Christmas greens above the fireplace.
Christmas greens — seasonal collocation
The church was filled with the sweet scent of pine greens and candles.
pine greens — variety modifier
Talia ordered fresh greens from the florist to hang along the staircase railing.
The shop window was draped with holly and other festive greens for the holidays.
- evergreens
names the source plants rather than the cut branches used for decoration
- foliage
broader and more neutral; includes any leaves, not only cut decorative ones
- boughs
stronger emphasis on large branches; common in carol lyrics like 'deck the halls'
文法句型
holiday/Christmas/festive + greens
decorate with + greens
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: these are inedible cut branches for display, not food. Often paired with 'Christmas', 'holiday', 'festive', or a plant name ('pine greens', 'cedar greens'). The decoration use is most common in North American English around December.
3. Members or supporters of a political party whose main goal is to protect the env
Members or supporters of a political party whose main goal is to protect the environment and promote policies on climate, energy, and nature.
The Greens won three extra seats in the German parliament last weekend.
the Greens + plural verb — party as collective subject
Reema decided to vote for the Greens because she cares deeply about climate policy.
vote for + the Greens
In Australia, the Greens often hold the balance of power in the Senate.
The Greens are pushing a new bill to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2035.
- environmentalists
wider term for anyone supporting environmental protection, not only party members
- Green Party
the formal name of the party as an organisation, often used in headlines
文法句型
the Greens + plural verb
vote (for) + the Greens
用法筆記
Capital G when naming the actual party: 'the Greens'. Lowercase 'greens' is sometimes used for general environmental supporters who are not party members, but the capitalised plural is the standard political reference. Always takes a plural verb when treated as a group of people.