a·ga·ve (?-gä?v?, ?-g??-)n. Any of numerous plants of the genus Agave, native to hot, dry regions of the Americas and having basal rosettes of tough, usually spiny-margined leaves. Agaves are grown for ornament, fiber, and food. Also called century plant.[New Latin Agav?, genus name, from Greek agau?, feminine of agauos, noble.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.agave (???e?v?; ?æ?e?v) n (Plants) any plant of the genus Agave, native to tropical America, with tall flower stalks rising from a massive, often armed, rosette of thick fleshy leaves: family Agavaceae. Some species are the source of fibres such as sisal or of alcoholic beverages such as pulque and tequila. See also century plant[C18: New Latin, from Greek agau?, feminine of agauos illustrious, probably alluding to the height of the plant]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014a?ga?ve (??g? vi, ??ge?-) n. any desert plant of the genus Agave, having a single tall flower stalk and thick leaves at the base. [