Greens

English

Etymology

In reference to the ancient Roman and medieval Byzantine racing faction, a calque of Latin prasinī (“Leek-Greens”) or factio prasina (“the leek-green faction”) and Byzantine Greek Πράσινοι (Prásinoi, “Leek-Greens”).

Noun

Greens

1. plural of Green

Proper noun

Greens

1. plural of Green
2. (Australian politics) The Australian Greens, a left-wing, progressive green party in Australia
3. (informal) Synonym of Green Party in various other contexts.
4. (informal) Any of several sports teams whose uniform is predominantly green, particularly
   1. (historical) The chariot-racing faction of the Roman circus and Constantinopolitan hippodrome that wore green.
      • 2002, James Allan Stewart Evans, The Age of Justinian..., p. 38:

        'Constantinople adopted the follies, though not the virtues of ancient Rome,' wrote Edward Gibbon, 'and the same factions which had agitated the circus raged with redoubled fury in the Hippodrome.' Gibbon's judgment was that what produced the 'redoubled fury' in the Hippodrome was senseless hooliganism, and even though the Blues and Greens could be politicized upon occasion, they had no coherent aims, religious or political. Gibbon's successors had alternative suggestions, the most persistent of which has been that the Blues were supporters of religious orthodoxy and the Greens of Monophysitism.

Coordinate terms

• (Roman charioteering factions): Blues, Reds, Whites; Golds, Purples (rare)

Anagrams

• Egners, Gerens, Senger, genres, negers, regens

German

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

Greens

1. inflection of Green:
   1. nominative/genitive/dative/accusative plural
   2. genitive singular