The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins. 2013.
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.) 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 … Etymology 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
