- the branch of the olive tree, traditionally a symbol of peace
- any peace offering
- A branch of an olive tree regarded as an emblem of peace.
- An offer of peace: bore an olive branch to the new round of negotiations.
(plural olive branches)
With reference to classical myth, where the olivebranch was a symbol of peace and prosperity, merging with Biblical allusion to Genesis 8:11, where a dove returns to Noah's ark as a sign that the Flood is subsiding.