Wreath

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Wreath \Wreath\ (?; 277), n.; pl. {Wreaths}. [OE. wrethe, AS.
     wr[=ae][eth] a twisted band, fr. wr[imac][eth]an to twist.
     See {Writhe}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. Something twisted, intertwined, or curled; as, a wreath of
        smoke; a wreath of flowers. "A wrethe of gold." --Chaucer.


        [1913 Webster]
  
              [He] of his tortuous train
              Curled many a wanton wreath.          --Milton.
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     2. A garland; a chaplet, esp. one given to a victor.
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              Conquest doth grant
              He dear wreath to the Grecian combatant. --Chapman.
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              Far back in the ages,
              The plow with wreaths was crowned.    --Bryant.
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     3. (Her.) An appendage to the shield, placed above it, and
        supporting the crest (see Illust. of {Crest}). It
        generally represents a twist of two cords of silk, one
        tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the
        principal color in the arms.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Wreathe \Wreathe\, v. t. [imp. {Wreathed}; p. p. {Wreathed};
     Archaic {Wreathen}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Wreathing}.] [See
     {Wreath}, n.] [Written also {wreath}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. To cause to revolve or writhe; to twist about; to turn.
        [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              And from so heavy sight his head did wreathe.
                                                    --Spenser.
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     2. To twist; to convolve; to wind one about another; to
        entwine.
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              The nods and smiles of recognition into which this
              singular physiognomy was wreathed.    --Sir W.
                                                    Scott.
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              From his slack hand the garland wreathed for Eve
              Down dropped.                         --Milton.
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     3. To surround with anything twisted or convolved; to
        encircle; to infold.
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              Each wreathed in the other's arms.    --Shak.
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              Dusk faces with withe silken turbants wreathed.
                                                    --Milton.
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              And with thy winding ivy wreathes her lance.
                                                    --Dryden.
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     4. To twine or twist about; to surround; to encircle.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              In the flowers that wreathe the sparkling bowl,
              Fell adders hiss.                     --Prior.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  wreath
       n : flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage
           or flowers for ornamental purposes [syn: {garland}, {coronal},
            {chaplet}, {lei}]
       v : encircle with or as if with a wreath; "Her face was wreathed
           with blossoms" [syn: {wreathe}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  163 Moby Thesaurus words for "wreath":
     O, Old Mug, achievement, alerion, animal charge, annular muscle,
     annulet, annulus, areola, argent, armorial bearings, armory, arms,
     aureole, azure, bandeau, bar, bar sinister, baton, bays, bearings,
     bend, bend sinister, billet, blazon, blazonry, bordure, boughpot,
     bouquet, boutonniere, braid, broad arrow, buttonhole, cadency mark,
     canton, chaplet, charge, chevron, chief, circle, circuit,
     circumference, circus, civic crown, closed circle, coat of arms,
     cockatrice, corona, coronal, coronet, corsage, crescent, crest,
     cross, cross moline, crown, cup, cycle, device, diadem, difference,
     differencing, discus, disk, eagle, ermine, ermines, erminites,
     erminois, escutcheon, eternal return, fairy ring, falcon, fess,
     fess point, festoon, field, file, flanch, fleur-de-lis,
     flower arrangement, fret, fur, fusil, garland, glory, griffin,
     gules, gyron, halo, hatchment, helmet, heraldic device,
     honor point, impalement, impaling, inescutcheon, label, lasso,
     laurel, laurels, lei, lion, logical circle, loop, looplet,
     loving cup, lozenge, magic circle, mantling, marshaling, martlet,
     mascle, metal, motto, mullet, nombril point, noose, nosegay,
     octofoil, or, orbit, ordinary, orle, pale, palm, palms, paly, pean,
     pheon, plait, posy, pot, purpure, quarter, quartering, radius,
     ring, rondelle, rose, round, roundel, sable, saltire, saucer,
     scutcheon, shield, sphincter, spray, spread eagle, subordinary,
     tenne, tincture, torse, tressure, trophy, unicorn, vair, vert,
     vicious circle, wheel, wreathwork, yale