alive

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Living; not dead.

   As long as the plant is alive, he will keep watering it.

2. 2
   adj

   Full of energy, activity, or excitement.

   The main street is quiet by day but comes alive at night.

3. 3
   adj

   Still existing or in operation.

   We worked hard to keep the tradition alive.

4. 4
   adj

   Fully aware of or sensitive to something.

   The company is alive to the risks of expanding too quickly.

From Middle English alive, alife, olive, olife, on live, on life, from Old English on līfe (“alive”, literally “in life" or "in (the) body”), from on (“on, in”) + līfe, dative singular of līf (“life”). In this sense, replaced Old English cwic (whence English quick). Equivalent to a- + life. Compare Dutch in leven (“alive”, literally “in life”), German am Leben (“alive”, literally “at life" or "at living”).

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