greens

Etymology 1

From Middle English grenes, equivalent to green + -s. Compare Saterland Frisian Gräinieten (“vegetable”), West Frisian grienten (“vegetables, greens”), Dutch groenten (“vegetables, greens”), German Low German Gröönten (“vegetables, greens”), Danish grøntsager (“vegetables”), Swedish grönsaker (“vegetables”).

noun

1. Leaves and leaf-like parts of edible plants when eaten as vegetables or in salads.
   salad greens
   collard greens
   If you're a beginning gardener and have never grown a vegetable in your life before, try greens. You'll find no easier group of vegetables to grow than greens. 2009, Charlie Nardozzi, Vegetable Gardening For Dummies, page 137
   Collard Greens are my favorite greens! 2011, Lorraine Grant, Everyday Comfort Foods with Family and Friends, page 52
   Throughout the winter and spring, a variety of little greens shoot up that are the staples of a harvested salad. 2017, Mia Wasilevich, Ugly Little Greens: Gourmet Dishes Crafted From Foraged Ingredients
   So, here's the deal: greens should be an essential part of every meal. And by greens I mean leafy greens, leaves on plants (such as tomato leaves), and herbs. 2017, Jenn Louis, Kathleen Squires, The Book of Greens: A Cook's Compendium, page 2
2. Green vegetables; edible plants or plant parts that contain chlorophyll.
   starches, meats, and greens
   Greens are the most basic and prevalent life form on the planet. In the waters, the greens are represented in large and microscopic plant life such as phytoplankton, which grow abundantly in oceans around the world and are the foundation of the marine food chain. On land, the greens can be represented in many green plants and tree foliage with access to sunlight and water. They all contain the pigment chlorophyll for photosynthesis. 2006, Ron Carter, Just Soul Food II-Greens/Holy Spirit's Love-Christ's Cross, page 102
   Seaweed is delicious, and now that you've fallen in love with these ocean greens, you likely can't wait to polish off multiple bowlfuls each day. 2016, Lisette Kreischer, Marcel Schuttelaar, Ocean Greens: Explore the World of Edible Seaweed and Sea Vegetables.
   91% of Americans don't eat the recommended daily intake of green vegetables. This is a combination of the challenge of time, budget and the perception most of us picked up as kids that greens don't taste good. 2017, Dawn Russell, The 8Greens Cookbook: The Simple Way to Get Your Greens
   We know we should eat more greens, but we so easily get stuck in a rut and just steam some broccoli or green beans, time and time again 2017, Zita Steyn, Eat More Greens: The Most Inventive Recipes to Help You Eat More Greens
3. Leafy plants that are used for decoration.
   Yuletide greens
   Tip greens - the new growth at the ends of branches - are often harvested either for the wholesale or retail market, or for one's own processing. 1989, Lewis Hill, Christmas Trees: Growing and Selling Trees, Wreaths, and Greens
   In phase II, we carried out the field portion of the study during two consecutive weeks in April 2002, a time that coincided with the end of the spring floral greens havesting season for that year. 2003, Kathryn A. Lynch, Rebecca J. McLain, Access, Labor, and Wild Floral Greens Management in Western Washington's Forests, page 10
   "We're going for Christmas greens and Dad's going to cut our tree from away up on the hillside," Toad told him, "and," he added, "we're going to take one of the horses with us to drag it home. 2007, Alice Hale Burnett, Christmas Holidays at Merryvale: The Merryvale Boys
4. (military) The green dress uniform of the United States Marine Corps.
   Some years ago, moths ruined my greens, and my son, a career Army man, sensed my loss. 1991, The Leatherneck, volume 74

noun

1. plural of green

Etymology 2

From green (verb).

verb

1. third-person singular simple present indicative of green