privet
noun
priv·et ˈpri-vət 
: a Eurasian deciduous shrub (Ligustrum vulgare) of the olive family with semievergreen leaves and small white flowers that is widely used for hedges
broadly : any of various shrubs of the same genus
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web These are places of extreme privilege, but inside the privet hedge the story that unfolds is the same one that unfolds inside chain link. 
Lesley Finn, Longreads, 7 July 2022 Residents last month voted to approve topless sunbathing on all public and private beaches, a move that promises to bring a dash of European abandon to an enclave better known for preppies and privet hedges. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 June 2022 The result is a forest that once again is able to flourish, where the beauty of the cottonwoods, hickories, elms, ash and pecans isn’t choked by the aggressive privet. Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 1 Oct. 2021 Today the trash is gone, as is most of the invasive Chinese privet, a nasty undergrowth that overwhelms native trees and vegetation. Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 1 Oct. 2021 Poisoning privet isn’t an option in a floodplain; instead it’s been carefully removed by hand. Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 1 Oct. 2021 To create hedges, Ms. Johnsen suggests using traditional privet and arborvitaes combined with trees such as the deer-resistant copper beech, which can grow into a type of vegetative screening. Hannah Selinger, WSJ, 19 Nov. 2020 On a handsome terrace a few miles east, an ordinary privet has been transformed into an ocean liner, complete with cresting wave. Kieran Dodds; Text By Peter Ross, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2020 This is Japanese privet, otherwise known as Japanese ligustrum. Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, 11 June 2020 See More
Lesley Finn, Longreads, 7 July 2022 Residents last month voted to approve topless sunbathing on all public and private beaches, a move that promises to bring a dash of European abandon to an enclave better known for preppies and privet hedges. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 5 June 2022 The result is a forest that once again is able to flourish, where the beauty of the cottonwoods, hickories, elms, ash and pecans isn’t choked by the aggressive privet. Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 1 Oct. 2021 Today the trash is gone, as is most of the invasive Chinese privet, a nasty undergrowth that overwhelms native trees and vegetation. Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 1 Oct. 2021 Poisoning privet isn’t an option in a floodplain; instead it’s been carefully removed by hand. Sharon Grigsby, Dallas News, 1 Oct. 2021 To create hedges, Ms. Johnsen suggests using traditional privet and arborvitaes combined with trees such as the deer-resistant copper beech, which can grow into a type of vegetative screening. Hannah Selinger, WSJ, 19 Nov. 2020 On a handsome terrace a few miles east, an ordinary privet has been transformed into an ocean liner, complete with cresting wave. Kieran Dodds; Text By Peter Ross, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2020 This is Japanese privet, otherwise known as Japanese ligustrum. Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, 11 June 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
origin unknown
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
privet
noun
priv·et ˈpri-vət
: a shrub with small white flowers that is often used for hedges