wreath

wreath
wreath (n.) 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" (Cf. O.E. wriða "band," wriðan "to twist, torture," wraþ "angry"), from root *wer- "to turn, bend" (see VERSUS (Cf. versus)). Meaning "ring or garland of flowers" is first recorded 1560s.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Wreath — (?; 277), n.; pl. {Wreaths}. [OE. wrethe, AS. wr[=ae][eth] a twisted band, fr. wr[=i][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.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • wreath — [ riθ ] noun count 1. ) a circle of flowers or leaves that you put on a GRAVE to show you are remembering the dead person: lay a wreath: The president laid a wreath at the war memorial. a ) a circle of flowers or leaves that you hang up for… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • wreath — [ri:θ] n [: Old English; Origin: writha] 1.) a circle made from leaves or flowers that you put on the place where a person is buried ▪ The prime minister laid a wreath at the war memorial. 2.) a circle of leaves or flowers that people use to… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • wreath — has the plural form wreaths, pronounced reedhz or reeths. The verb, meaning ‘to encircle with a wreath’, is spelt wreathe and is pronounced reedh …   Modern English usage

  • wreath|y — «REE thee», adjective. of the form of a wreath: »wreathy clouds, a wreathy vine …   Useful english dictionary

  • wreath — [n] circular decoration band, bay, bouquet, chaplet, circlet, coronal, coronet, crown, festoon, garland, laurel, lei, loop, ring, ringlet; concepts 259,260,429 …   New thesaurus

  • wreath — ► NOUN (pl. wreaths) 1) an arrangement of flowers, leaves, or stems fastened in a ring and used for decoration or for laying on a grave. 2) a curl or ring of smoke or cloud. ORIGIN Old English, related to WRITHE(Cf. ↑writhe) …   English terms dictionary

  • wreath — [rēth] n. pl. wreaths [rēthz, rēths] [ME wrethe < OE writha, a ring, a twisted band < writhan, to twist: see WRITHE] 1. a twisted band or ring of leaves, flowers, etc.; esp., a) a chaplet worn as a mark of honor or victory b) a garland laid …   English World dictionary

  • Wreath — A wreath is a ring made of flowers, leaves and sometimes fruits that can be used as an ornament, hanging on a wall or door, or resting on a table. A small wreath can be also worn on the head as a form of headdress.ymbolismWreaths are commonly… …   Wikipedia

  • wreath — n. 1) to make, weave a wreath 2) to lay, place a wreath (they laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier) 3) a bridal; Christmas; floral wreath * * * [riːθ] Christmas Christmas floral wreath weave a wreath place a wreath (they laid a wreath …   Combinatory dictionary

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