In Genesis, what did Noah's dove return with to show that floodwaters had receded?

Noah’s dove returned with an olive leaf to show that the floodwaters had receded.

Genesis 8:11 says the dove came back in the evening carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf. Noah understood this as evidence that water no longer covered all the land within the bird’s reach. He waited another seven days and sent the dove out again; it did not return.

The olive branch later became a widespread symbol of peace, although its modern symbolism is broader than the Ark story itself. The biblical wording specifies an olive leaf, not a generic branch or another plant. This detail is distinct from the rainbow, which appears later as a covenant sign.