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laurel

 - 7 dictionary results

lau⋅rel

  [lawr-uhl, lor-] noun, verb, -reled, -rel⋅ing or (especially British) -relled, -rel⋅ling.
–noun
1. Also called bay, sweet bay. a small European evergreen tree, Laurus nobilis, of the laurel family, having dark, glossy green leaves. Compare laurel family.
2. any tree of the genus Laurus.
3. any of various similar trees or shrubs, as the mountain laurel or the great rhododendron.
4. the foliage of the laurel as an emblem of victory or distinction.
5. a branch or wreath of laurel foliage.
6. Usually, laurels. honor won, as for achievement in a field or activity.
–verb (used with object)
7. to adorn or wreathe with laurel.
8. to honor with marks of distinction.
—Idioms
9. look to one's laurels, to be alert to the possibility of being excelled or surpassed: New developments in the industry are forcing long-established firms to look to their laurels.
10. rest on one's laurels, to be content with one's past or present honors, achievements, etc.: He retired at the peak of his career and is resting on his laurels.
Use laurel in a Sentence
Origin:
1250–1300; dissimilated var. of ME laurer, earlier lorer < AF; OF lorier bay tree, equiv. to lor bay, laurel (< L laurus) + -ier -ier 2 ; see -er 2

Synonyms:
6. glory, fame, renown, praise.

Lau⋅rel

  [lawr-uhl, lor-]
–noun
1. Stan (Arthur Stanley Jefferson), 1890–1965, U.S. motion-picture actor and comedian, born in England.
2. a city in SE Mississippi. 21,897.
3. a town in central Maryland. 12,103.
4. a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To laurel
lau·rel   (lôr'əl, lŏr'-)   
n.  

  1. A Mediterranean evergreen tree (Laurus nobilis) having aromatic, simple leaves and small blackish berries. Also called bay5, bay laurel, sweet bay.

  2. A shrub or tree, such as the mountain laurel, having a similar aroma or leaf shape.

    1. A wreath of laurel conferred as a mark of honor in ancient times upon poets, heroes, and victors in athletic contests. Often used in the plural.

    2. Honor and glory won for great achievement. Often used in the plural.

tr.v.   lau·reled also lau·relled, lau·rel·ing also lau·rel·ling, lau·rels also lau·rels

  1. To crown with laurel.

  2. To honor, especially with an award or a prize.


[Middle English, from Old French laureole, from Latin laureola, diminutive of laurea, laurel tree; see laureate.]
Lau·rel   (lôr'əl, lŏr'-)   
British-born American comedian who with Oliver Hardy formed the first great comedy team of talking films. Their works include The Music Box (1932) and A Chump at Oxford (1940).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

laurel 
c.1300, lorrer, from O.Fr. laurier, from L. laurus "laurel tree," probably related to Gk. daphne "laurel" (for change of d- to l- see lachrymose), probably from a pre-IE Mediterranean language. The change of second -r- to -l- after c.1350 is by dissimilation. An emblem of victory or of distinction, hence the phrase to rest (originally repose) on one's laurels, first attested 1859.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

laurel

see look to one's laurels; rest on one's laurels.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia

Laurel

city, Prince George's county, central Maryland, U.S., on the Patuxent River midway between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. The land was patented to Richard Snowden, who arrived about 1658 and founded the community. Montpelier Mansion (1783; Georgian), built by Thomas Snowden, is now owned by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. The town was named for the local laurel trees. After World War II the community experienced growth as a residential and industrial centre. The Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University is there. Laurel Park racecourse offers Thoroughbred racing and was the site of the annual Washington D.C. International horse race from 1952 until 1995, when the race was discontinued. The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center within Patuxent Research Refuge (southeast) is between Fort George G. Meade (an army base) and the National Agricultural Research Center. T. Howard Duckett (Rocky Gorge) Reservoir and Dam are immediately northwest. Inc. town, 1870. Pop. (1990) 19,438; (2000) 19,960.

Learn more about Laurel with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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