WREATH

wreath, garland, coronal, chaplet, lei

(noun) flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

wreath (plural wreaths)

Something twisted, intertwined, or curled.

An ornamental circular band made, for example, of plaited flowers and leaves, and used as decoration; a garland or chaplet, especially one given to a victor.

(heraldry) An appendage to the shield, placed above it, and supporting the crest; an orle, a torse. It generally represents a twist of two cords of silk, one tinctured like the principal metal, the other like the principal color in the coat of arms.

Synonyms: orle, torse

A defect in glass.

Verb

wreath (third-person singular simple present wreaths, present participle wreathing, simple past and past participle wreathed)

To place an entwined circle of flowers upon or around something.

(transitive) To wrap around something in a circle.

(intransitive) To curl, writhe or spiral in the form of a wreath.

Anagrams

• rethaw, thawer, wahter, what're, wrathe

Source: Wiktionary

Wreath, n.; pl. Wreaths. Etym: [OE. wrethe, AS. wræedh a twisted band, fr. wriedhan to twist. See Writhe.]

1. Something twisted, intertwined, or curled; as, a wreath of smoke; a wreath of flowers. "A wrethe of gold." Chaucer. [He] of his tortuous train Curled many a wanton wreath. Milton.

2. A garland; a chaplet, esp. one given to a victor. Conquest doth grant He dear wreath to the Grecian combatant. Chapman. Far back in the ages, The plow with wreaths was crowned. Bryant.

3. (Her.)

Definition: 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition