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wreath

[reeth]

Example Sentences Origin

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noun

a circular band of flowers, foliage, or any ornamental work, for adorning the head or for any decorative purpose; a garland or chaplet.

any ringlike, curving, or curling mass or formation: a wreath of clouds.

(in stair building)

a curved section of a handrail.

Also called wreath·piece. a curved section of a string.

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verb (used with object), verb (used without object)

to wreathe.

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Wreath is one of our favorite verbs.

So is yaff. Does it mean:

to bark; yelp.

to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.

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Origin:
before 1000; Middle English wrethe, Old English writha something wound or coiled; akin to writhe

Related forms

wreath·like, adjective

Can be confused: wraith, wreath, wreathe, writhe.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To wreath

Example Sentences

Even those who have never considered buying a wreath may be tempted this year.

She was there to lay a wreath in memory of the victims.

The wreath of fur is somewhat akin to wearing a woolen scarf at the peak of summer-a hot and.

EXPAND

Even those who have never considered buying a wreath may be tempted this year.

She was there to lay a wreath in memory of the victims.

The wreath of fur is somewhat akin to wearing a woolen scarf at the peak of summer-a hot and.

How to make an aromatic herb wreath in minutes, using your own wreath.

Finds included metal vases, a gold wreath and weapons.

The laurel wreath upon her head quickly turned to ashes.

Get the black boxes, and have the robots leave a wreath before ascending for good.

Nostrils pinched to block out water, an adult hippo stands in a wreath of dung stirred by its footsteps.

To welcome family and friends, hang an evergreen wreath from a ribbon that coordinates with the flowers and foliage.

In all its ungainly, length up and down the island it will probably not receive a wreath.

The wreath of fur is somewhat akin to wearing a woolen scarf at the peak of summer-a hot and heavy burden around the neck.

Eucalyptus branches and pods impart a blue glow to a simple fir wreath.

Or a wreath covered in electric lights around a weird porcelain monkey head that has its mouth open in a scream.

Bay and rosemary leaves form a wreath that holds its fragrance for more than a week.

Place on greased round bread pan or cookie sheet and shape into a wreath.

Miniature carnations and spiky fir needles create a wreath that's both fragrant and strikingly elegant.

Dei," a lamb with its legs tied as the intended sacrificial victim lies on a table in helpless innocence, framed by a wreath.

Wreath cookies are bright and festive, whether bejeweled or simply frosted.

Clutching a wreath of pastel-color eggs as she entered a long hallway.

Add cones and pods and finish the wreath or swag with a raffia bow or, for a more elegant look, a bow made from wired ribbon.

And if you're short on time, feel free to skip the wreath.

At the head of the pylons, a fierce bronze eagle lays a wreath on an oceanic grave.

Clutching a wreath of pastel-color eggs as she entered a long hallway that is hallowed.

The fir wreath symbolizing hope is hung from the ceiling with a ribbon.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

wreath (riːθ)

—n , pl wreaths
1.	a band of flowers or foliage intertwined into a ring, usually placed on a grave as a memorial or worn on the head as a garland or a mark of honour
2.	any circular or spiral band or formation
3.	a spiral or circular defect appearing in porcelain and glassware

[Old English wrǣth, wrǣd; related to Middle Low German wrēden to twist. See writhe]

'wreathless

—*adj*

'wreathlike

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

wreath

O.E. wriða "fillet, bandage, band" (lit. that which is wound around), from P.Gmc. *writhon (cf. O.N. riða, Dan. vride, O.H.G. ridan "to turn, twist," O.S., O.Fris. wreth "angry," Du. wreed "rough, harsh, cruel," O.H.G. reid "twisted," O.N. reiða "angry"), from PIE *wreit- "to turn, bend"

EXPAND

(cf. O.E. wriða "band," wriðan "to twist, torture," wraþ "angry"), from base *wer- "to turn, bend" (see versus). Meaning "ring or garland of flowers" is first recorded 1563.

COLLAPSE

Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia

wreath

circular garland, usually woven of flowers, leaves, and foliage, that traditionally indicates honour or celebration. The wreath in ancient Egypt was most popular in the form of a chaplet made by sewing flowers to linen bands and tying them around the head. In ancient Greece, wreaths, usually made of olive, pine, laurel, celery, or palm, were awarded to athletes victorious in the Olympic Games and as prizes to poets and orators. Young lovers in ancient Greece hung wreaths on their lovers' doorways as a sign of affection. In Rome also, laurel crowns were bestowed as a mark of honour, especially on civil officials and returning warriors. During the Italian Renaissance (c. 15th-16th centuries), the custom of wearing wreaths on festive occasions was revived. Later, in Victorian England, a floral wreath sometimes surrounded the chair of the guest of honour at a banquet.

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

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Matching Quote

"But seldom the laurel wreath is seen
Unmixed with pensive pansies dark;
There's a light and a shadow on every man
Who at last attains his lifted mark—
Nursing through night the ethereal spark.
Elate he never can be;
He feels that spirits which glad had hailed his worth,
Sleep in oblivion.—The shark
Glides white through the phosphorus sea."

-Herman Melville

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